


So, This Seems Familiar

by Sharkdukes



Series: Stories Of The Awkward Kind [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Bad Puns, Bara Sans, But for now he's just there, But he hasn't contributed to the plot, But knowing and believing are two diferent things, Chara is a girl, Charlotte loves fabric and sewing, Due to childhood bullies berating her on an almost daily basis, F/F, F/M, Gaster is here too, I ain't moving at no Disney movie pace with the romance, Like, Like seriously get this girl her own fabric store JESUS CHRIST, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Papyrus is a cinnamon roll, REALLY slow, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader and Chara are Cousins, Reader and Chara are related, Reader and Chara's aunt is a vile bitch and should burn in Hell for what she put Chara through, Reader and Frisk are not related, Reader is named, Reader thinks she's slightly overweight, Reader's height to weight ratio is fine where it is, Sans is a SINnamon roll, She knows that she's by no stretch of the imagination overweight, Slow Burn, Tiny's literally growing out of her sealed form and she is not okay with it, alright, alright?, yet - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-07-27 09:45:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 67,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7613272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sharkdukes/pseuds/Sharkdukes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You woke up from a very realistic, and very frightening, dream. Or rather, nightmare. You can't quite remember it.</p><p>It was just an average, lovely, summer day. Nothing of great importance was going on.</p><p>Wait.</p><p>Is that your neighbor Frisk?</p><p>Why are they headed towards Mount Ebbot?</p><p>Their parents don't care enough to watch them closely.</p><p>Guess you'll have to do.</p><p>ACT 1: The Underground Chapter 1 - ?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Fall

**Author's Note:**

> Part two of the series!
> 
> I'm really excited about it!
> 
> I know a lot of you didn't like the way I ended the previous story. I get it. You liked the way it was going already and wonder why I'd set back the clock to before chapter one of 'So, This Is Awkward.' I have a good reason. Several of them.
> 
> One: Emily died. That warranted Frisk to reset.
> 
> Two: You all probably noticed the absence of a certain sentient flower. It wouldn't have mattered if Emily had died or not. Despite the fact that Frisk said they'd never reset again, they would inevitably go back on their word to try and get Flowey to come to the surface. Like they had done countless times before. Emily dying gave Frisk the push they needed to break their promise.

The sun beat down on you savagely. You could feel sweat roll down your back.

 

Why were you climbing a mountain again?

 

Oh. Right.

 

Frisk.

 

Your neighbor's kid.

 

Just a half hour ago, you had seen the little six-year-old scamper their way towards Mount Ebbot.

 

Why?

 

You had absolutely no idea. But they had a fierce look on their face that made it clear no one was going to stop them from going there.

 

Frisk's parents, in a word, were unattentive.

 

They were a fairly young couple. Frisk's dad was twenty-six and Frisk's mom was twenty-four.

 

They had no idea how to be good parents. You couldn't count the times you or one of your other neighbors had found Frisk about to do something that would cause grievous bodily harm and no adult in sight.

 

The worst part was that they didn't even seem to care about their child's safety. They always grumbled about Frisk being 'such a nuisance' before slamming the door in the face of whoever had found them.

 

Child services had been called multiple times. Each time they went to check, Frisk's parents put on this fake doting and loving act. The only time they ever acted like they gave a damn about their kid was when their asses were on the line. 

 

You were disgusted with the fact that there could be two people so close to you that brought life into the world, and didn't care at all if it was snuffed out.

 

You had kept an eye on Frisk all the while that you'd been following them. Before you began 'Operation: Keep Frisk Safe,' you had quickly run back inside, found an old duffle bag with a first-aid kit, some blankets, a few empty thermoses that you filled with leftover soup and water and a compass. You doubted you'd need all of that, but you could never be too careful. You also grabbed your phone and its charger in case you didn't make it back before dark and had to hole up at the ranger station.

 

Not that you intended to be gone that long. But life happens sometimes.

 

Essentials packed, you ran out the door, locked it, and headed of in the direction you saw Frisk go.

 

It wasn't hard to keep up with them seeing as how they were six and had short legs.

 

Also they stuck to the mountain path. So that helped.

 

You could've picked Frisk up and carried them back to their home, but you didn't. Kids came up to play on Mount Ebbot all the time. It was when they started to stray too far to the top that you decided to make your presence known.

 

"Frisk!"

 

They jolted back from the hole they had been observing. Wow, that was a very large hole. They spun around and looked at you.

 

And for some reason they began to cry and raced towards you. You kneeled down. You always had a soft spot for kids.

 

Especially crying ones.

 

"Oof!"

 

Frisk had barreled into you and were weeping audibly. Mumbling out 'I'm sorry' over and over again.

 

You didn't know Frisk could talk, all you ever saw them do was use ASL. Must be selectively mute then. You pulled away from Frisk enough to see their face.

 

"What are you sorry for? You didn't do anything wrong. But, you really shouldn't be up this far on the mountain. C'mon, let's head back."

 

Frisk looked at you with an unreadable expression before shaking their head violently.

 

_'I can't go back! I have something important I gotta do first!'_

 

Frisk motioned for you to come look at the hole with them. You shrugged. If it would make them happy to get this out of the way, then you'd do it. The sooner you did, the sooner you could bring them home.

 

You didn't notice a particularly large vine that was raised ever so slightly near the edge of the hole.

 

Neither did Frisk.

 

They stumbled over the vine and their own two feet before falling headfirst into the hole. You didn't even think before jumping in after them.

 

Wind whipped by fast in your ears. Frisk was slowly fading from your sight. You straightened your body like an arrow and were met with far less wind resistance.You caught up with Frisk in no time. You scooped them up in your arms and curled around them to protect them from the force of the impact that was soon to come.

 

_THUD._

 

You felt sunlight on your face. And... something else. You almost sat up, but felt the weight of Frisk on your abdomen. You opened your eyes.

 

Then shut them back immediately because holy dick, the sun is _bright._

 

You squinted.

 

Okay.

 

From what you can make out, it would appear that the two of you are in a cave of some sort.

 

Frisk let out a small whimper and sat up on you.

 

"Hey Frisk," you groaned while sitting up. "You okay?"

 

_'I'm fine. What about you?'_

 

"Well. Thankfully my duffle bag cushioned the fall for me a bit, so my back could hurt a lot worse than it does." You pulled off whatever was sticking to your face.

 

Flowers?

 

You looked all around you. Yellow flowers everywhere! They didn't seem too beat up, all things considering. They must've broken your fall, too.

 

_'Can you walk?'_

 

"I think so. Here sit down while I try."

 

Frisk slipped off of your stomach and into the flowers. You tucked your legs under you, then moved one to get to a standing position.

 

You wobbled a bit from all the blood that was rushing from your head to the rest of your body, but other than that and your sore back, you were fine.

 

"Yep. I can walk just fine, Frisk. Hey. I've been wondering, and I don't mean to be rude I just can't tell, are you a boy or a girl?"

 

_'Neither. I'm just me.'_

 

"So you prefer gender neutral pronouns?"

 

_'Yes.'_

 

"Alright then. We best be going if we want to find our way out of this cave and back to the surface."

 

You took Frisk by the hand and began walking east, as that was the only way not blocked off by rock.

 

You came to the end of the room to a... An entryway? A finely sculpted and detailed entryway.

 

Maybe these caves were once part of some ancient structure?

 

You'd worry about it later.

 

Beyond the entryway was another room. Rock on all sides, save for the path and a circular part in the middle. You could see another entryway not too far ahead.

 

"Howdy!"

 

You froze at the sound of an unfamiliar voice.

 

"Hello?"

 

Creepy giggling. Like those children they have in horror flicks.

 

"Down here!"

 

You looked down.

 

What fresh Hell is this.

 

A golden flower(?) much like the ones you landed on.

 

Except this one had a face.

 

And was talking to you.

 

"I'm Flowey! Flowey the flower!"

 

'Flowey' didn't appear to be talking to you. He(?) was looking directly at Frisk.

 

"Are you really going to make me introduce myself? It's rude of you to act like you don't know who I am!"

 

Okay. This flower was obviously crazy. How would Frisk possibly know him? You decided Flowey was definitely a boy until he said otherwise.

 

"I think you've got Frisk confused with someone else."

 

Flowey flinched at the sound of your voice. Did he not notice that you had been in the room?

 

"Well, this is certainly new!" And he certainly gained his composure back quickly. "Two humans falling down here at the same time? That's _never_ happened before."

 

You didn't like the creepy emphasis he put on the word 'never.'

 

"Golly, you must be so confused, being new to the Underground and all! Someone oughta teach you how things work around here! I guess little ole' me will have to do!" 

 

You felt something being pulled from your chest the same time the scenery around you turned black and white.

 

What was happening?

 

"See that heart? That's your SOUL, the very culmination of your being!"

 

You looked in front of you and gasped quietly.

 

A blue heart was floating in front of you. This was your soul? You looked down at Frisk. Their soul was bright, vivid red.

 

"Your soul starts out weak," Flowey continued. "But it can grown strong if you gain a lot of LV."

 

You wonder what 'LV' is.

 

"What's LV stand for? Why, LOVE, of course! You want some LOVE, don't you?"

 

You were starting to get even more creeped out than you already were.

 

"Don't worry, I'll share some with you!"

 

No thank you. You're good.

 

He winked and five spinning seeds(?) appeared around him.

 

"Down here, LOVE is shared through... Little white... 'friendliness pellets.'"

 

The bad feeling you had was getting stronger.

 

"Are you ready?"

 

No.

 

"Move around! Get as many as you can!"

 

The pellets moved towards you and Frisk. Just before they reached your souls, you moved you and Frisk out of the way.

 

Flowey's smile fell into a slightly upturned line. His eyes drooped a little.

 

"Hey buddy, you missed them. Let's try again, okay?"

 

More pellets appeared and began moving towards your souls. You once again moved out of the way.

 

Flowey looked at you in ill-concealed ire.

 

"Is this a joke? Are you braindead? RUN. INTO, THE. BULLETS!!! ...friendliness pellets."

 

Like Hell.

 

You once again moved out of the way of the oncoming bullets.

 

Flowey's face contorted into a vision of absolute horror.

 

"YoU kNoW wHaT's GoInG oN hErE, dOn'T yOu?"

 

You pulled Frisk close to you, eyes widening in fear.

 

"YoU jUsT wAnTeD tO sEe Me SuFfEr."

 

An array of bullets surrounded you and Frisk. No possible way to dodge.

 

" **Die.** "

 

Flowey's face twisted once again. A large smile plastered there as he let out a chilling series of giggle and laughs.

 

The bullets closing in all the while.

 

You shut your eyes and prepared for the end.

 

But the hurt you were expecting never came.

 

You opened your eyes in time to see the bullets completely vanish and Flowey get hit with a fireball.

 

"What a terrible creature, torturing such poor, innocent youths..." a motherly voice spoke out.

 

You could only stare in awe as - what appeared to be - a tall goat woman approached the two of you.

 

"Ah, do not be afraid, my children."

 

She smiled warmly at you. Her deep burgundy eyes reminding you of a lit fireplace during winter. Warm and inviting.

 

"I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. I pass through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down. You are the first humans to come here in a long time."

 

She turned, her purple dress swishing as she did.

 

"Come! I shall guide you through the catacombs. This way."

 

Frisk took your hand and began eagerly following after Toriel.

 

You couldn't help but be a bit suspicious of her. Despite her kind, motherly exterior, you had no way of knowing if it was just a ruse. Flowey had seemed okay, if not a little creepy, and look at how that turned out!

 

You'd be leery of Toriel until such a time you felt you could fully trust her. You readjusted your duffle bag as you walked.

 

Despite knowing you it was impossible for you to have met her before...

 

Something about Toriel felt eerily familiar and kept nagging at the back of your mind.


	2. The Ruins, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Frisk traverse the entirety of the Ruins.
> 
> You're told a tale of heartache and betrayal by Toriel.

The room Toriel led you and Frisk to was a bit larger than the two previous ones.

 

There were twin staircases that led to another entryway. Below them, a small pile of red leaves with a shining golden light in the middle of them. Toriel went to the top of the stairs. You followed, but noticed Frisk was lagging behind.

 

"Frisk?"

 

They bounded up the stairs energetically. They grasped your hand once more.

 

 _'Sorry,'_ they signed with their free hand. _'Had to do something real quick!'_

 

Before you could ask what it was they drug you through the entryway.

 

You had a feeling this was going to become its own thing.

 

The next room had a shut door to the north. Next to it on the left was a plaque that you couldn't read from this distance. Close to where you were standing were large tiles that looked like they would sink into the ground if stepped on. On the right of the door was a lever.

 

"Welcome to your new home, innocent ones."

 

'New home?' Surely Toriel didn't think you two were going to be staying very long.

 

Then you got a sinking feeling.

 

What if there _wasn't_ a way out?

 

"Allow me to educate you two in the operation of the Ruins," Toriel continued.

 

She stepped on the two north and south tiles and ignored the middle two before pulling the lever. The door opened.

 

"The Ruins are full of puzzles. Ancient fusions between diversions and doorkeys. One must solve them to move from room to room. Please adjust yourselves to the sight of them."

 

She entered the next room after she finished speaking. Frisk drug you along yet again.

 

You didn't even get a chance to read the plaque.

 

The next room was much larger than all you had seen previously. There were tiny water canals running beneath small bridges.

 

It was serene and beautiful.

 

"To make progress here," Toriel began, "You will need to trigger several switches. Do not worry, I have labeled the ones that you need to flip."

 

Toriel moved on to the next area over the first bridge. You and Frisk read a small sign close to the door you just came through.

 

'Press [Z] to read signs!'

 

You huffed out a chuckle.

 

"What does that even mean?!"

 

The plaque to the north simply read 'Stay on the path.'

 

Sound advice.

 

You and Frisk crossed the bridge. To your left was a yellow switch. Frisk ran over and flipped it. Toriel smiled at their enthusiasm and moved on the end of the room. You both made your way over there as well. You flipped the switch this time.

 

"Splendid!" Toriel praised. "I am proud of you, little ones. Let us move to the next room."

 

She did just that and the two of you followed. You noticed metal plates in front of the door with small holes in them.

 

Spikes plates?

 

The next room was smaller than the last. The path to the next doorway was short. There was a training dummy next to it.

 

"As humans in the Underground, monsters may attack you."

 

'Monsters?' You knew Toriel was by no means human, but a monster?

 

You had always thought the legends about monsters being trapped underneath Mount Ebbot were just that- _Legends._

 

Learning something new today, that was for sure.

 

"You two will need to be prepared for this situation," Toriel continued on. "However, worry not! The process is simple. When you encounter a monster, you will enter a FIGHT. While you are in a FIGHT, strike up a friendly conversation."

 

That doesn't sound like good advice.

 

"Stall for time. I will come to resolve the conflict. Practice talking to the dummy."

 

You and Frisk approached the dummy. You felt your soul being yanked from your body for the second time that day.

 

It felt weird. And you felt incomplete without your soul in you.

 

*** You encountered the dummy.**

 

ACT

> Dummy

 

> Check

 

*** Dummy - ATK 0 DEF 0**

 

*** A cotton heart and a button eye.**

 

***You are the apple of my eye.**

 

That was actually pretty cute.

 

"....."

 

* Dummy looks like it's going to fall over.

 

ACT

 

> Dummy

 

> Talk

 

*** You talk to the dummy.**

 

*** ...**

 

 

*** It doesn't seem much for conversation.**

 

*** Toriel seems happy with you.**

 

*** YOU WON!**

 

***You earned 0 XP and 0 gold.**

 

Your souls returned back to your bodies. All was well.

 

"Ah, very good!" Toriel was praising the two of you again. "You both are very good."

 

She went on ahead and you two - once again - followed behind her shortly after.

 

The next room had a strange little patch of dirt at the beginning. You couldn't see what else the room had to offer due to a wall obscuring your vision.

 

"There is another puzzle in this room..."

 

Why did Toriel seem hesitant to mention it?

 

"I wonder if you can solve it?"

 

Instead of going on ahead, Toriel walked in front of you and Frisk this time, You made sure to stay a safe distance away from her.

 

You were about to turn the first corner when you felt your soul being unexpectedly torn from your body yet again.

 

*** Froggit attacks you!**

 

A small, white monster - that did indeed resemble a frog - hopped towards the two of you.

 

It seemed somewhat agitated.

 

ACT

 

> Froggit

 

> Compliment

 

*** Froggit didn't understand what you said, but was flattered anyway.**

 

Toriel approached Froggit and gave him what could only be described as the 'Stern Motherly Disapproval' look.

 

Froggit slunk away in shame and Toriel narrowed her eyes.

 

*** YOU WON!**

 

*** You earned 0 XP and 0 gold.**

 

Toriel moved on ahead. You stopped Frisk from following so you could read the large plaque.

 

*** The western room is the eastern room's blueprint.**

 

You had absolutely no idea what that meant.

 

The two of you moved along to see Toriel standing before a row of spikes.

 

You _knew_ there were spikes!

 

"This is the puzzle, but..." Toriel seemed reluctant to let you two try it.

 

She held out a paw for you to take.

 

"Here, take my hand for a moment."

 

Her grasp was firm, but gentle. For a moment, you're reminded of the way your mom used to hold your hand. Firm but gentle. Just like Toriel was doing now.

 

You feel a bit of nostalgic sadness.

 

You missed your parents.

 

She led you over to the spikes. She stepped down on some and instead of recoiling in pain like you had been expecting, the spikes were simply pushed into the ground.

 

She walked in a very specific way, and that was when the plaque made sense! It was that little path of dirt back at the beginning of the room!

 

Clever. Very clever.

 

As she stepped off the spikes, they raised back up. So it was _that_ kind of mechanic...

 

Toriel stopped at the end of the room and turned to you and Frisk.

 

"Puzzles seem a little too dangerous for now."

 

She was speaking to both of you, but was gazing into your eyes with an intense look that you couldn't quite place. Almost like she was looking for something.

 

But what?

 

You followed Toriel into the next room, she once again turned to the two of you.

 

"You have done excellently thus far, my children. However... I have a difficult request to ask of the two of you."

 

Uh oh.

 

"..."

 

What was it?

 

"I would like you both to walk to the end of the room by yourselves."

 

That's it?

 

"Forgive me for this."

 

You turned to give Frisk a confused look. They just shrugged their shoulders. You turned back to Toriel-

 

But she was gone.

 

What the fuck?! How can she possibly move that fast?!

 

You grasp Frisk's hand reassuringly. You weren't the least bit scared. But they were a kid. Kids can be scared of a lot of things.

 

You walk the length of the room. Jesus Christ is it long!

 

There was a large, white column at the end of the room.

 

You could see Toriel plain as day hiding behind it. You stared at her for a bit. She felt your eyes on her and darted them over to you.

 

You gave her a confused but amused smile. She smiled back.

 

She came out from behind the column after you both had nearly passed it.

 

"Greetings, my children. Do not worry, I did not leave you. I was merely behind this pillar the whole time. Thank you both for trusting me."

 

That was why she did it? To see if you trusted her enough to leave you two alone?

 

"However, there was an important reason for this exercise."

 

Oh wait, nevermind. You could be totally wrong.

 

"... to test your independence."

 

Well, you'd lived on your own for years, you'd say that was pretty independent.

 

"I must attend to some business, and you two must stay alone for a while. Please remain here. It's dangerous to explore by yourselves."

 

Really? Well, you guessed she'd know better than you would.

 

"I have an idea. I will give you a cell phone. If you have a need for anything, just call."

 

Wait a minute! Your cell phone! You still had it in your duffle bag! You had no idea if it still worked or if it was broken beyond repair, but you wouldn't know until you checked.

 

"Be good, alright?"

 

Toriel went on ahead after handing you the cell phone. Frisk tugged on your skort.

 

_'Can I carry it?'_

 

"Sure thing. I've got my own. I have no idea if it's in working condition or not though. Let me check"

 

It was, but it didn't have a signal. Monsters must have a way for their phones to get signal.

 

Not that you had any idea what that could _possibly_ be.

 

Frisk tugged on your hand to signal they wanted you to begin walking.

 

"But, Toriel said not to leave the room."

 

_'We'll never find a way out if we don't get up and search.'_

 

How could a six-year-old be so wise? How?

 

You saw logic within that statement and moved into the next room.

 

There was another one of those golden, sparkly things sitting in a pile of red leaves.

 

The phone rang.

 

_"Hello? This is Toriel."_

 

Who else would be calling?

 

_"You have not left the room, have you? There are a few puzzles up ahead that I have yet to explain. It would be dangerous to try and solve them yourselves. Be good, alright?"_

 

She hung up.

 

You wondered briefly if Toriel had any idea that you were an adult. She obviously knew what a human looked like. Perhaps it was your height? Your mom and you had been roughly the same height, you being just a hair shorter. But your mom had actually looked like an adult. Your face was still round like a child's. Like Frisk's. You weren't very developed in the, _ahem,_ chest area. They were there. They just weren't very large.

 

Maybe it was your voice? It was rather high for an adult. At least, that's what everyone told you when you explained that no, you weren't getting sick it was just your voice.

 

You've never felt like a woman since you became one.

 

You still felt like a _little girl._

 

Okay, pity party's over with! Time to get a move on!

 

Frisk pulled you towards a Froggit that you hadn't noticed before.

 

"Ribbit, ribbit. (Excuse me, humans.)"

 

What the-! Why could you understand the frog monster?

 

"(I have some advice about battling monsters.)"

 

Okay then. Just going to ignore this new development until you have time to properly flip out.

 

"(If you ACT a certain way or FIGHT until you almost defeat them... They might not want to battle you anymore.)"

 

Oh, good to know.

 

"(If a monster does not want to fight you, please... Use some MERCY, humans.) Ribbit."

 

The Froggit hopped away. You turned to Frisk.

 

"You understood it too?"

 

They nodded.

 

Glad to know you weren't alone in this crazy adventure.

 

Frisk goes towards the sparkling object in the leaves. It's kind of shaped like a star, it's just missing the fifth point.

 

*** (Playfully crinkling through the leaves fills you with determination. HP fully restored.)**

 

You could have sworn you heard someone speaking just now. Actually, also when you were fighting.

 

You hoped you weren't beginning to hear voices that weren't there.

 

You led Frisk through the doorway to the north. Beyond it was a tiny room with a bowl full of candy in the middle on a pedestal.

 

There's a note next to the bowl. You read it.

 

"It says 'take one.'

 

You and Frisk each took one piece of candy. You would respect the note's wishes.

 

You exited the candy room and walked south.

 

You ran into a monster named 'Whimsun' on the way down. She looked like she was trying not to cry and you attempted to console her.

 

But she burst into tears and ran away before you could get a word out.

 

The next area was a short hallway. You and Frisk made it about halfway before the two of you fell through a well-hidden pitfall.

 

You landed on a pile of red leaves.

 

Really, where are all these leaves coming from?

 

There were two doors, one on each side of the leaf pile. You went through the right one. You ended up on the other side of the pitfall trap.

 

...

 

You were not going to question it. You were _not_ going to question it.

 

Not right now.

 

You continued on.

 

The two of you had just made it into the next room when the phone rang again.

 

_"Hello? This is Toriel."_

 

Again, who else would be calling? The only person that knew this number was her!

 

_"For no reason in particular... Which do you prefer? Cinnamon or butterscotch?"_

 

Frisk handed you the phone.

 

"Well, Frisk says they prefer cinnamon. That's my preference, too."

 

_"Oh, I see. Thank you very much!"_

 

She hung up.

 

You had taken maybe two more steps when the phone rang again.

 

_"Hello? This is Toriel."_

 

No. Really. You never would have guessed.

 

_"You two do not **dislike** butterscotch, do you? I know what your preference is, but... Would you turn your nose up if you found it on your plate?"_

 

"I'd be fine with it. Frisk says they wouldn't mind either."

 

_"Right, right, I understand. Thank you for being patient, by the way."_

 

She hung up again.

 

You had a feeling Toriel was making something that included both cinnamon and butterscotch. Some type of desert perhaps?

 

You observed the room and noticed another plaque. You read it out loud.

 

"Three out of four grey rocks recommend you push them."

 

You just had to accept that a lot of things down here weren't going to make much sense.

 

There just so happened to be a grey rock in the room, a metal plate, and a lot of spikes.

 

It was fairly obvious what had to be done.

 

The rock wasn't all that heavy to be honest. After you got it on the plate, the spikes went down.

 

The next room had a very suspicious looking floor. You were right about not trusting it.

 

You stepped on a certain part of it and fell through the floor again.

 

A lot of red leaves were down here. Bu there seemed to be a path.

 

You figured it was like the blueprint room a few areas back.

 

There was a plaque here, too.

 

"Please don't step on the leaves."

 

You noticed Frisk had not fallen down with you. You exited through the door and saw that they were waiting patiently for you.

 

"Sorry about that. But I think I know how to solve this one."

 

It took a few tries, but you eventually made it to the end of the room.

 

The next room had three grey rocks, three metal plates, and spikes.

 

You hoped spikes weren't a recurring thing down here.

 

You pushed the top one and Frisk pushed the middle. That left the bottom rock. Frisk had barely touched it when it startled the both of you by talking.

 

The rock. Fucking. _Talked._

 

"WHOA there, pardner! Who said you could push me around?"

 

Frisk murmured a bit.

 

"HMM? So you're _askin'_ me to move over?"

 

Frisk nodded.

 

"Okay, just for you, pumpkin."

 

Don't make this weird, talking rock.

 

The rock moved a little bit. More murmuring.

 

"HMM? You want me to move some more? Alrighty, how's this?"

 

The rock moved up. You think it was making fun of you two.

 

"HMM? That was the wrong direction? Okay, think I got it."

 

The rock moved again, this time onto the plate. and the spikes went down. You and Frisk had just made it to the bridge when the spikes came back up.

 

The rock had moved off of the plate. Frisk went back over to it and murmured some more.

 

"HMM? You wanted me to _stay_ there? You're giving me a real workout."

 

The rock moved back and stayed on the plate this time. You and Frisk walked briskly out of the room in case the rock decided to move again.

 

The next area was another hallway. There was a mouse hole, a table with cheese on it, and another sparkly think. You touched it.

 

*** (Knowing the mouse might one day leave its hole and get the cheese... It fills you with integrity. HP fully restored.)**

 

You observed the cheese on the table.

 

"This cheese has been here for quite a long time. It's stuck to the table... Gross. Why did I touch this?"

 

The next small area had two pathways. One to the north and one to the east. In the middle, more red leaves. On top of the leaves was a- A-

 

Was that a ghost?

 

_OKAY SO GHOSTS ARE REAL TOO APPARANTLY HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!_

 

Ghosts freaked you out.

 

You had a horrible cousin that would subject you to films of the horror genre when you were younger.

 

They scarred you for life.

 

Hopefully you would hold off curling into a ball that was rocking back and forth and also crying hysterically in fear.

 

Hopefully.

 

You timidly approached the ghost.

 

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ..."

 

Uh...

 

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ..."

 

What?

 

"ZZZZZZZZZZ... _(Are they gone yet?)_ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ..."

 

This ghost keeps saying 'Z' out loud repeatedly, pretending to sleep.

 

Frisk decided to try and move the ghost with force.

 

Your souls are flung from your bodies yet again.

 

*** Here comes Napstablook.**

 

ACT

 

> Napstablook

 

> Flirt

 

Frisk points the double gun fingers at Napstablook, then signs a pick up line. Napstablook looks confused.

 

"They said 'You're the most boo-tiful ghost I've seen in my life.'"

 

His face greys a little bit.

 

"I'd just weigh you down."

 

He started crying. One of the tears hit your soul and you cried out in pain.

 

*** Emily's HP - 57/60**

 

*** Napstablook is staring into the distance.**

 

ACT

 

> Napstablook

 

> Cheer

 

You looked Napstablook in the eyes.

 

*** You gave Napstablook a patient smile.**

 

"Heh... Really not feeling up to it right now. Sorry."

 

You couldn't even be mad that he had hurt you. The poor guy looked like all he needed was someone to be there for him and tell him that it would be alright.

 

*** Napstablook looks just a little bit better.**

 

ACT

 

> Napstablook

 

> Cheer

 

*** You told Napstablook a little joke.**

 

"Heh heh..."

 

He started crying again. Your heart broke a little for him. You managed not to get hit by any tears this time. Frisk was really good at dodging.

 

That tidbit of information concerned you. Not that you wanted them to get hurt!

 

But how were they so good at dodging?

 

ACT

 

> Napstablook

 

> Cheer

 

*** Napstablook wants to show you something.**

 

"Let me try..."

 

He began crying again, but this time the tears went upward. They formed into a little top hat.

 

"I call it 'Dapper Blook.' Do you like it..."

 

*** Napstablook eagerly awaits your response.**

 

ACT

 

> Napstablook

 

> Cheer

 

"Oh, gee..."

 

His face turned a darker shade of grey.

 

Your souls returned to your bodies. You were beginning to get used to the feeling of it being brought out and coming back in.

 

Napstablook was no longer laying on the ground.

 

"I come to the Ruins because there's nobody around..."

 

That- That's really sad.

 

"But today... I met some people who were nice..."

 

Aww!

 

"... Oh, I'm rambling again. I'll get out of your way."

 

He vanished before your eyes. You let out a huge sigh of relief.

 

That wasn't as bad as you'd thought it'd be!

 

You sunk down to the leaf pile, your feet were killing you!

 

"Frisk, let's take a little break, okay?"

 

Frisk looked hesitant to accept, but soon felt their fatigue hit them. They nodded and crawled into your lap.

 

You'd rest for a little while, then you'd continue on.

 

Something smelled nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headcannon. All humans, no matter their soul trait can save and load. But only humans with determination as their soul trait can reset.
> 
> Also, I will be using the game dialogue, as you've no doubt gathered, and also some of my own.
> 
> I won't have Emily and Frisk leave the ruins right away. Emily is too nice of a person to just up and leave Toriel all by her lonesome. Frisk wants to spend as much time with their mom as possible.
> 
> Also, someone else you all know and (hopefully) love will be showing up next chapter!


	3. The Ruins, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Frisk traverse the rest of the Ruins and meet a lady that seems eerily familiar to you.
> 
> But there's no possible way you could have met her before now.
> 
> Toriel gives you a history lesson and reveals some chilling information.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On the first of August, tomorrow, I'll have to go register for school. Then a week later on the eighth, I'll have to go back and LEARN. So I just have a week left of pretty regular updates before I start getting swamped with schoolwork.
> 
> On the plus side, long breaks in between chapters will give me plenty of time to think about how I want this to go exactly.
> 
> I'm warning you all now, there WILL be death. Not for every FIGHT, but there will be some bosses that will be hard for Emily to get past.
> 
> *Cough cough*UNDYNE*Cough*

You and Frisk sat in the leaf pile for about twenty minutes, according to your phone.

 

Thank goodness the clock/calendar app didn't require you to have a signal in order to be used.

 

The tantalizing smell from earlier hadn't let up in the time you two had been resting.

 

"Hey, you wanna go and find out what's making that delicious smell?"

 

Frisk nodded eagerly, then blushed when their stomach made its opinion known.

 

You giggled. You two had eaten the soup already, but that could only fill a person up so much.

 

The two of you walked east. The room you found yourselves in was decent in size.

 

There were small stoves and counters in the room. A few barrels there as well.

 

Stools were seated at the counter. You picked Frisk up and set them on one of the stools at their request. You sat with them.

 

Frisk rung a small bell that was on the counter.

 

"Just a moment!"

 

A voice called out from a small doorway you hadn't noticed before. What stepped out was something you weren't expecting.

 

She was tall, slender, and stunning. The outermost part of her eyes reminded you of rubies and her pupils made you think of stars in the night sky. Her dress was as red as her eyes were and covered her feet. It hung off of her shoulders just a bit. The sleeves were quite large, like those of a kimono. But that's not what surprised you.

 

It was that she was completely made of fire. Her inner flames were grey, her outer ones were white.

 

She was really pretty.

 

And looked strangely familiar to you for some reason that made your head throb in pain.

 

"Oh! Um, hello there... It's... It's not often we see humans down here! Oh, please forgive me I'm being terribly rude aren't I? Let me start over. Hello! My name is Charlotte Sunburst. This is the Spider Bake Sale. All proceeds go to real spiders. May I get the two of you anything?"

 

Now that she mentioned it, you were suddenly _very_ aware of all the spider crawling near the stoves and barrels.

 

"Wh-what do you have," you asked meekly.

 

Her black painted lips broke out into a huge, genuine smile. Holy crap does she have large teeth or what?

 

"We have two items on our menu! Not a lot, I know. But they are simply divine I can assure you of that! We have Spider Donuts for seven gold and Spider Ciders for eighteen gold."

 

The monsters that you had previously fought gave you gold after the fights. So far you had accumulated fourteen gold. Just enough for two Spider Donuts.

 

You paid Charlotte and she returned with two purple donuts.

 

"Here you are, Dears! We thank you for your patronage!"

 

Frisk devoured theirs in seconds. You actually weren't all that hungry and decided to put the donut into your duffle bag. You, thankfully, had a leftover sandwich holder in their that you had forgotten about.

 

"I'll eat mine later," you explained when Frisk gave you a confused look.

 

A few spiders had crawled onto the counters and were observing the two of you. They didn't look like actual spiders, so you concluded that they were spider monsters. They had little plump, white bodies with five eyes. They had eight legs like a normal spider would. They were also a great deal larger than regular spiders.

 

Charlotte had reignited the stoves with 'fire magic.' You supposed that magic being real wasn't the craziest thing to hear today.

 

Just take a look at all the events prior to this moment.

 

"So..." Charlotte attempted to _strike_ up a conversation.

 

Did you really just think of a fire related pun? No! You swore those days were over!

 

"So?" Wow. You were so good at conversation. A+, Emily.

 

"What do you two plan on doing?"

 

_'We're going to go see Toriel!'_

 

Charlotte cocked her head to the side and pursed her lips in confusion. Frisk flushed with embarrassment and put their hands down.

 

"They said we're going to go see Toriel."

 

Charlotte perked up at the name.

 

"Toriel? I know her. Well, not personally. I've only spoken to her a handful of times that she's traveled through the Ruins. She's nice, lives at the very end of the Ruins."

 

Hm. Well at least you knew when you'd arrive at her home.

 

"How far is that from here?"

 

"Hmmm... You're a little over halfway. There are a few difficult puzzles up ahead. I could come along and help out? I mean, if you'd like. Sometimes she drops certain things and doesn't notice. I've been over to her home plenty of times to return them. I've got the solutions to the puzzles memorized. But it's not all that hard to do so. The Ruins are a very small place once you get used to them."

 

You didn't say anything after that. For a moment...

 

It was as if Charlotte had completely lost hope.

 

But then she was back to her cheerful disposition.

 

"Well? Would you care for my assistance?"

 

You look down at Frisk who is shaking their head violently in a 'yes' motion.

 

"Sure! This way we get to know our new friend along the way!"

 

You were starting to get the impression that monsters were just naturally friendly.

 

You back tracked to the room you had entered this one from and went north.

 

There were three Froggits in this room. They waved politely at your passing party.

 

"There's a fourth Froggit in this room," Charlotte stated.

 

"Really?"

 

"Yes, but they are the size of an ant. It's hard to spot them if you don't know where to look."

 

You three reached the end of the room when the phone rang once again

 

_"Hello? I just realized that it has been a while since I have cleaned up. I was not expecting to have company so soon. There are probably a lot of things lying about here and there. You can pick them up, but do not carry more than you need. Someday you might see something you really like. You will want to leave room in your pockets for that."_

 

Then she hung up.

 

What even was that conversation?

 

You looked at Frisk and Charlotte with a confused grimace. They both shrugged.

 

The three of you pressed onwards.

 

The next room was large. You could clearly see six pitfalls in it. There was a plaque on the wall to your left.

 

'There is only one switch.'

 

And since you couldn't see it, that meant falling down more holes.

 

Great.

 

You wandered to the bottom left corner of the room and stepped on the trap.

 

You, unsurprisingly, fell through.

 

You landed on more leaves.

 

No really. WHERE WERE THEY ALL COMING FROM?!?!

 

You didn't see a switch and made a move towards the door, but paused when a flash of slightly duller red caught your eye.

 

It was a ribbon.

 

A faded ribbon.

 

It was a bit worn at the ends, but other than that and the fact it's once vibrant red had dulled with time, it was in alright condition.

 

You put it in your duffle bag.

 

You were brought back to the floor above. Frisk ran over to you and hugged your middle.

 

_'I flipped the switch!'_

 

You patted them on the head.

 

"Good job."

 

They beamed at the praise and took your hand in theirs once more. Charlotte smiled at the way you two interacted with each other.

 

"You two are so sweet. Are you siblings?"

 

You laughed and waved the question off.

 

"No. Frisk and aren't siblings. We aren't even related. They're my neighbor."

 

"Ah. Sorry for jumping to conclusions. It's just, the two of you act like siblings. You look out for and comfort each other. That's what siblings do."

 

 _'Not all siblings,'_ Frisk signed sadly.

 

Did Frisk have a sibling?

 

A question for later.

 

When you entered the next room, Charlotte spoke up.

 

"This is the puzzle I meant. That's funny, I swear there were more last time I came through here. When you exit this room, you're not really exiting it. It rotates and you have to flip one of the three colored switches in order to lower the spikes."

 

Charlotte led you trough three instances of the same room, just with the perspective flipped and the plaques saying something different each time. You finally made it to a crossroads.

 

"To the north is Toriel's home. To the east is a grand view of the rest of the Ruins. I have to get back to the spiders and keep the stoves warm. I hope I'll see you two again."

 

You and Frisk waved goodbye to Charlotte. Frisk drug you east, eager to see the view.

 

You encountered another Froggit on your way there.

 

"Ribbit, ribbit. (Just between you and me... I saw Toriel come out of here just a little while ago. She was carrying some groceries. I didn't ask what they were for... Almost all of us are too intimidated to talk to her.) Ribbit."

 

Why? Despite your suspicions of Toriel, the woman had been nothing but kind. Perhaps it was her stern glare. You hadn't been on the receiving end of it and you didn't want to be.

 

You and Frisk passed through yet another doorway.

 

Charlotte was right.

 

This _is_ a grand view.

 

You could see a whole city from the balcony you were on. There didn't seem to be a way to get there from where you were though.

 

"Well Frisk, I guess we should- What are you doing?"

 

Frisk had found a small toy knife and a stick. Though made of plastic, the toy knife could do some real damage, if the way Frisk was cutting those short limbs on the stick off was any indication.

 

They handed you the toy and stick. You placed both in your duffle bag to appease them.

 

Your bag sure could hold a lot of stuff.

 

You made your way back to the crossroads and headed north. There was a large, black tree in the middle of this room. Beyond it was what appeared to be a house.

 

Toriel's home.

 

You had taken maybe two steps when you heard Toriel's voice.

 

"Oh dear, that took longer than I thought it would."

 

She approached the way you came in, not noticing you and Frisk. She dialed the phone's number and looked up when she hear it ring so near by.

 

"How did you get here, my children? Are you hurt?"

 

She saw where some of Napstablook's tears had also hit your face a little. It hurt, but it hadn't done anything to your HP. She cupped your face delicately.

 

"There, there, I will heal you."

 

Her paw glowed green for a moment then it stopped. She let go of your face. You touched where the wound was. Or rather, should have been. It was gone!

 

Healing magic, you guess?

 

"I should not have left the two of you alone for so long."

 

It was just a little scratch. Nothing to worry about.

 

Unless it got infected of course.

 

"It was irresponsible to try and surprise you like this." Toriel continued talking to herself before she realized what she just said. "Err... Well, I suppose I cannot hide it any longer. Come, small ones!"

 

You weren't that small...

 

Well, when compared to Frisk. Toriel was definitely taller than you by a few feet.

 

You walked with Toriel to her home. You noticed another sparkling light in the leaves. Frisk touched it this time.

 

*** (Seeing such a cute, tidy house in the Ruins gives you determination.)**

 

Frisk took your hand again and you both entered Toriel's home.

 

It was nice and warm inside. You saw a staircase that led down to a basement, probably. There were two ways to go, left or right. Something smelled really good.

 

"Do you two smell that? Surprise! It is a butterscotch-cinnamon pie. I thought we might celebrate your arrivals. I want you both to have a nice time living here. So I will hold off on snail pie for tonight. Here, I have another surprise for you both."

 

Toriel went to the right and Frisk followed with you in tow.

 

"This is it..." She stopped in front of a door. "A room for the two of you. I hope you like it! I'm sorry that I cannot give you both a room of your own, but the only other bedroom besides my own is under renovations at the moment."

 

She patted Frisk on the head softly. That painted the perfect picture of a mother for you.

 

"Is something burning? Um, make yourselves at home!"

 

Toriel rushed off towards what you assumed was the kitchen. You and Frisk entered the room.

 

Inside the room was what one would expect for the typical child. A bed, a lamp, and a closet. There were also boxes of shoes and toys and a small bookcase with an empty picture frame on top of it.

 

You wondered if Toriel had kids and if they were all grown up now.

 

Frisk yawned and got into the bed. It was pretty large and could easily fit the both of you.

 

But you weren't tired.

 

You tucked Frisk into bed and went back into the hallway.

 

You went in the direction that Toriel rushed off to and found yourself in a living room of sorts. There was a well tended to fireplace with glowing embers lighting it up.

 

Toriel came out of what you concluded was the kitchen with a couple of slices of butterscotch-cinnamon pie.

 

"Oh! Hello, my child. I did not think you would be up. I was just coming to bring these to the two of you."

 

"That's very kind of you."

 

Toriel handed you your slice and went to give Frisk theirs. You took a bite.

 

It was really good.

 

Toriel came back a few minutes later.

 

"Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

 

"Yeah, actually. I was wondering if there was a way out of the Ruins?"

 

Toriel froze as she was reaching for a book.

 

"You- You want to leave?"

 

You nodded.

 

"Don't get me wrong! You have been so nice and hospitable to Frisk and I! It's just, there are people back home that are probably wondering where the two of us are."

 

Well, your little brother definitely would be. Frisk's parents?

 

Doubtful.

 

Toriel sighed tiredly.

 

"There is a way out of the Ruins. However, it only leads into the rest of the Underground. Have you heard of the tale of the war of humans and monsters?"

 

You shook your head.

 

"I had no idea monsters were real until today!"

 

Toriel gave you a bewildered look.

 

"Truly? Humans have forgotten all about us?"

 

"I guess?"

 

"Hmph. That cannot be helped. You... You are not a child, are you."

 

It wasn't a question.

 

"No. I'm an adult. I'm just short."

 

"Then it will be easier to tell you this story. You know how the world really is."

 

Toriel sat down in a large white chair. You pulled one of the chairs from the table in front of her.

 

"Long ago, two races ruled over Earth: humans and monsters. One day, war broke out between the two races. After a long battle, the humans were victorious. They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell. That is the revised version children are told. We tell them that the reason war came was because humans became afraid of our magic and what we could do with it. That is not, _entirely_ true. The main reason the human king declared war on us was because of his wife."

 

"His wife?"

 

"Yes, but not because she hated monsters. On the contrary. She embraced monster culture and traditions as if they were her own. But that is not why either."

 

"Then why?"

 

"The human queen fell in love with a monster and left the king. Enraged, he ordered the lovers to be hunted down and brought before him. He had them executed. Still fueled by rage, the king ordered all human/monster couples to be put to death. Then all monsters to be put to death. The king had gone mad with envy and rage at other's happiness and the fact that his wife had left him for a monster."

 

You had nothing to say. This was not your place to comment.

 

"The war was long. Blood and dust littered countless battlefields."

 

"Dust?"

 

She nodded solemnly.

 

"When a monster dies, their body turns to dust. We are made of magic, not blood and muscle like you humans. Eventually, the humans won. They had seven human mages combine their magic to confine us to this mountain. The only way to break the Barrier - the force that keeps everything trapped here - is to obtain seven human souls. In order to do that, seven humans must die."

 

"What?"

 

"Human souls persist after death, unlike monster souls that shatter almost immediately upon death. Six. That is how many the king has obtained."

 

"The king?"

 

"Asgore Dreemur," she spoke the name with contempt. "We had long accepted our fate long ago until several years ago when the humans took something precious from us again. Wracked with grief and rage, the king declared all humans beyond redemption and to be killed on sight should they fall down here."

 

"What did they take? How did they take it?"

 

"I- I would rather not speak about it."

 

"I understand."

 

"But, yes... Six. That is how many humans have fallen before the two of you. The king only needs one more. The humans- They were only children."

 

You covered your mouth in horror.

 

You didn't want to think of what could have possibly happened to make the king not show even the slightest bit of mercy to children.

 

"So, to answer your question, there is a way out of the ruins. But... Could you understand why I would be reluctant to let you leave?"

 

"I get it. Thank you for telling me. But I suppose it doesn't matter if Frisk and I leave or stay. You said that the Barrier keeps everything trapped down here right? There's no way we'd be able to leave even if we got to the end, right?"

 

"Yes. There is a way for you to leave, but it would involve you killing a specific kind of monster. A boss monster. Their soul is the only kind of monster soul a human could absorb."

 

"Can a monster absorb a human soul?"

 

"Yes. I've only seen it done once. The monster that did it... They became a being of unimaginable power."

 

You supposed you'd be down here for a while.

 

 

* * *

Two months had passed.

 

In that time, you and Frisk had gotten to know Toriel and Charlotte very well. The two women in turn became good friends.

 

Charlotte had helped you and Frisk with your wardrobe problem, seeing as how Toriel didn't have anything that could fit either of you. Charlotte was a very good seamstress. She revealed to you that she had always wanted to design clothing, but there weren't a lot of monsters in the Ruins that felt the need to wear them. You hoped she could achieve her dream one day.

 

You also called Toriel 'Mom' now, as did Frisk.

 

It had just slipped out one day. She reminded you so much of your own mom that you said it without thinking.

 

You tried stammering out an apology, but she had stopped you.

 

"Would that make you happy? To call me... Mother?"

 

From that day on, Toriel was 'Mom.'

 

Frisk began calling her that a few days after you did.

 

It was really fucking precious.

 

Charlotte and Mom had been learning sign language from Frisk with you there to translate what the gestures meant.

 

They were both extremely fast learners and were fluent in ASL after a month.

 

Frisk had been antsy as of late.

 

They kept trying to go downstairs.

 

Toriel had divulged to you that the stairs led to the exit to the Ruins.

 

Something that you needed to keep Frisk away from.

 

But Frisk was a very determined child.

 

You had chased them all the way down the stairs to a large door with the same emblem that was on Mom's dress.

 

You had scooped Frisk up and scolded them the whole walk back.

 

Mom wasn't pleased.

 

"Frisk, I have told you countless times that it is dangerous for you to go down there. Why do you insist on doing so?"

 

Frisk looked guilty.

 

_'I just... I just wanted to go see the rest of the Underground!'_

 

"How did you-"

 

_'I overheard you and Big Sis talking about it a few days ago.'_

 

Frisk had also picked up the habit of referring to you as their older sister. When you asked them why, they said it was because you were more of a sister to them than their actual one was.

 

That broke your heart.

 

_'I know you don't want us to leave because you think it's too dangerous. But I want to help everyone! I wanna break the Barrier!'_

 

"Frisk... I don't think you understand what that would mean..."

 

They turned to you.

 

_'I don't care. I have to try.'_

 

Toriel didn't say a word for a while. Then she sighed.

 

"I understand. I've grown to know you well, my child. I know you will not let this go. Though it pains me to do so, I will try and see you off with a smile."

 

She walked to the front door.

 

"I will go retrieve Charlotte. I would like her to accompany you. I know you can handle yourself from all the FIGHTs that other monsters have instigated with you, Frisk. But it would make me feel better knowing you weren't going alone. Charlotte has mentioned several time how she'd like to see the rest of the Underground again."

 

She looked at you.

 

"And what about you Emily? Will you stay or will you go?"

 

"I- I don't want you to be all alone again, but... I couldn't sleep at night not knowing if Frisk was in trouble or not. I know Charlotte could protect them..."

 

 

* * *

Charlotte was a powerful monster. She said that she'd never met a monster whose stats were the same as hers.

 

You asked what stats were. She explained things like 'HP,' 'DEF,' 'ATK,' and what 'XP,' and 'LV,' really were.

 

You never wanted to gain LOVE or EXP, as was its actual acronym.

 

When you asked why her stats were so high, she actually gave you a very clear explanation.

 

"My mother was a blue fire monster, and my father was a fish monster. Obviously I take after my mother. The only traits I got from my father were the teeth and an increased resistance to water."

 

"Huh?"

 

"The amount of water a fire monster such as myself can survive touching depends entirely on the color of their flames. Red/Orange can only take perhaps a bucketful. Anymore than that and they're doused for good. My mother was blue so she could stand a great deal more than a red or orange fire monster. My flames are white, so I can take on gallons of water before I even begin to feel weak. Thanks to my father's genes, the resistance is boosted. My stats are so high because both my mother and father were Sub-Boss Monsters."

 

"What does that mean?"

 

"It means that they are leagues above standard monsters - what you've been fighting in the Ruins - but still a scosche weaker than a boss monster. Due to their elevated stats, mine are far above average, thus placing me in the Boss Monster category."

 

You were awestruck.

 

"That is so incredible! So, do your parents live here in the Ruins too?"

 

Charlotte's smile turned just the tiniest bit sad.

 

"No... They Fell Down a long time ago..."

 

"'Fell Down'?"

 

"When monsters have children, their offspring feed off of their magic in order to grow and mature. My parents had me just a few short months before the war began. They had already lived several thousand years. They were killed in battle. Without their magic to help me continue to grow, I stopped growing when I had turned twenty-one. That's actually what happened to a lot of Pre-War born monsters."

 

"Twenty-one years? That's how long the war went on?" 

 

"Even longer."

 

You couldn't imagine such a horrible thing lasting so long.

 

* * *

"She's strong, she told me so herself. But I couldn't live with myself if something happened to Frisk because I didn't go with them."

 

Toriel smiled sadly.

 

"I understand, my dear child. I will miss both of you."

 

She embraced you and left to fetch Charlotte.

 

They returned about half an hour later with heavy winter gear in tow.

 

"Sorry we're back so late! I needed to whip the two of you up something appropriate to wear for the next area of the Underground," Charlotte huffed out.

 

She gave you a heavy blue coat with soft fleece lining the inside of it. She had fabricated you a new set of jeans. A hat with flaps on the sides, and a purple scarf. She even made you a pair of brown winter boots!

 

"The spiders helped with the shoes. I've infused all of the clothing with fire magic to help keep the two of you warm."

 

Frisk got a new sweater, the same as their old one. A red coat with soft fleece lining it. They got their own set of jeans and boots too. They received a yellow scarf and a small toboggan hat.

 

"The area after the Ruins is nothing but ice and snow. I'll be fine, but humans don't do so well in harsh weather conditions without the proper gear."

 

Toriel walked with the three of you down to the door. She kissed Frisk's forehead, then yours.

 

"Please, do not hesitate to call, children. I will miss hearing your voices."

 

"We will, Mom."

 

Toriel began to tear up and hugged all three of you before turning to go back upstairs.

 

Frisk takes your hand and Charlotte's.

 

The three of you step on through the door.

 

This room is familiar.

 

And not in a good way.

 

"Clever. _Very_ clever."

 

Oh no.

 

Not Flowey.

 

"I bet you think you're _so_ smart, playing by you own rules like this. Down here, it's _kill_ or _be killed._ So you managed to spare the lives of everyone you fought and managed to avoid a confrontation with Toriel. _SO WHAT?_ What do you think will happen when you meet someone who is relentless in their efforts to kill a human like you?"

 

He looks at you when he says that last part.

 

"You'll die and you'll die and you'll die some more until you decided to FIGHT back. Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to try and attack you this time. Something new has _finally_ happened. And I want to see just how you and the walking fire hazard shake this run up! Until next time!"

 

He winked and burrowed into the ground.

 

"Who was that bloody plonker?"

 

" _Flowey."_

 

_'Flowey.'_

 

"Well, he was not pleasant in the slightest! Should he ever try and get near us again, I'll be doing some weeding."

 

You smiled. Charlotte, while she portrayed herself a lady of the highest caliber, could be fierce when she wanted to be.

 

"That will be much appreciated should that ever happen."

 

You felt a cold chill run across your face.

 

You came to a larger set of doors. The breeze was coming from underneath them.

 

"Ready to head into the unknown?"

 

Charlotte dipped her head in confirmation.

 

Frisk gave one determined nod of their head.

 

"Okay then."

 

You pushed the door open with your unoccupied hand.

 

No going back.


	4. The Struggle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emotions and feelings run deep with Sans.
> 
> You make a new friend(?) to talk to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE STRUGGLE OF CREATING THIS CHAPTER WAS SO REAL YOU GUYS
> 
> YOU DON'T EVEN /KNOW/

_Light poured in from the intricately designed glass windows that littered the walls of the ominous hallway._

 

_He rotated his neck until it cracked pleasantly._

 

_Soft footsteps were approaching. Whom they belonged to was hidden by the shadows of the columns._

 

_"How many times are we gonna haveta do this, Kiddo?"_

 

_The figure stepped out of the darkness. One hand occupied with holding a sharp knife._

 

_'As many times as it takes, **Sans**.'_

 

_Their free hand signed rapidly._

 

_They were eager to get started._

 

_"Heh."_

 

_Their soul was pulled out._

 

_" **THEN YOU'RE GONNA BE HERE FOR A WHILE.** "_

 

_How long had it been since he had first killed them?_

 

_Days? Months? Years?_

 

_It didn't matter._

 

_He kept killing them._

 

_And they just kept coming **back**._

 

_They swung, he dodged._

 

_They swung again, he dodged again._

 

_This was their dance._

 

_Over and over they would waltz to its rhythm until one of them finally gave up._

 

_He couldn't let them get past him._

 

_But he was so tired._

 

_Everyone he knew and cared about was gone._

 

_And it was this human's- No. This **monster's** fault._

 

_Heh. 'Monster.' Funny coming from a guy like him._

 

_But that didn't mean it wasn't true. Only a monster- not in the literal sense of the word- could slaughter an entire race and feel nothing but pure glee for doing so._

 

_What was this, their four hundredth attempt?_

 

_It didn't matter._

 

_He swiftly moved his right arm and the kid was impaled with half a dozen bones._

 

_He closed his eyes, waiting for the next Load._

 

_"S-S-S-a-a-a-nnnnnn-ssssss..."_

 

_That-_

 

**_That wasn't THEIR voice._ **

 

_He snapped his eyes open and in place of the kid-_

 

_Was **you.**_

 

_His sunshine, his **everything**._

 

_"E-Emily!"_

 

_He dissipated the bones and caught you before you fell over. Your blood oozed onto his jacket, but he didn't care._

 

_"Wh- Why did you do this?"_

 

_"I- I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to!"_

 

_You looked him in the eyes. Yours were nothing but empty, black holes._

 

_" **It'S yOuR fAuLt I dIeD! yOu CoUlD hAvE sAvEd Me!"**_

 

_You were melting out of his arms. Then, you and everything around him disappeared._

 

_"No! Please come back! I didn't mean to! I DIDN'T MEAN TO!"_

 

* * *

Sans awoke with a jolt. His left eye was buzzing uncontrollably with his magic. He was sweating profusely and attempted to calm his breathing.

 

This wasn't the first time your death had plagued his nightmares.

 

It certainly wouldn't be the last.

 

When Sans had awoken a few months ago to his brother yelling about how he needed to get up before he was late for sentry duty, Sans had nearly broke down.

 

Frisk hadn't kept their promise to never Reset again.

 

He waited for them to come out of the Ruins like they always did to confront them about the broken promise.

 

But they never did.

 

That had been a month and three weeks ago.

 

Sans had barely left his room in that timeframe.

 

He spent his days just laying in the floor being a useless sack of shit.

 

That's what he felt like.

 

Shit.

 

He could have done something- _anything_ to protect you from Nadia and her goons if he had just been there with you!

 

But he wasn't there like he said he'd be.

 

He had been at home, nervously pacing. Wondering whether or not he should tell you that he loved you.

 

He ended up saying it.

 

And then you died in his arms.

 

His soul was in crushing pain and agony with you gone.

 

For that brief moment, he considered killing every unconscious piece of shit in that alley.

 

Your funeral was held a week after you died. Nadia and her 'friends' had been arrested and were awaiting trial.

 

He cried when you were lowered into your grave.

 

He cried himself to sleep that night like he had been doing for the past week.

 

Tiny, who he thought absolutely **despised** him, was the only person who even attempted to console him.

 

_"I can't possibly understand how you feel, Sans. But I'm willing to listen. I know we've never really gotten along... I'm sorry about that. I thought you were just some man-whore and that Emily was just going to be your next conquest. But I was wrong. You loved her. She was your Soulmate, wasn't she."_

 

That hadn't been a question and he hadn't given an answer. She knew.

 

And then Frisk Reset the day after Emily's funeral.

 

Usually whenever Frisk Reset everything, Sans would go through his usual routine. Wake up, tell Papyrus his awesome jokes, and fool around with one of the single local girls before it was time to meet the kid.

 

That was actually how he had gained that 'reputation' the single women in Snowdin liked to gossip about. He'd just have sex when he didn't need to watch the kid.

 

The first time he did this, he was an awkward, clumsy mess. He'd been a virgin. Technically, he was a virgin whenever Frisk erased all their progress and started over. A nervous, awkward, clumsy virgin no matter how many times he had sex for the first time.

 

He was a virgin this Reset too.

 

And he was going to stay that way for a while.

 

He hadn't been with anyone since the new Reset. And he never would.

 

Not when you were the only one he wanted.

 

Sans was snapped out of his musings when his bedroom door was kicked open.

 

"SANS! I AM AWARE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN MOST UPSET ABOUT SOMETHING THESE PAST MONTH AND AS YOUR BROTHER, I RESPECT YOUR NEED TO BE ALONE TO DEAL WITH YOUR TROUBLES! BUT ALSO AS YOUR BROTHER, IT IS MY JOB TO MAKE CERTAIN YOU DON'T SHIRK YOUR DUTIES AS A SENTRY!"

 

Papyrus yanked Sans out from underneath the covers and pushed him into the bathroom with a clean change of clothes before shutting the door.

 

"YOU'LL NOTICE I TOOK THE LIBERTY OF DOING YOUR LAUNDRY! WHEN YOU ARE DONE, PLEASE PLACE THOSE FILTHY, STAIN-RIDDLED PAJAMAS OF YOURS INTO THE HAMPER!"

 

Sans sighed. He couldn't say no to his little brother.

 

He shrugged off the white- okay, _previously_ white, now it was more of a dull yellow- sleep shirt he'd been wearing for almost two months straight. Okay, yeah, that was really disgusting, even by his standards. Papyrus would probably burn this shirt, it was that filthy. He'd also probably burn his gray boxers. They were stained as well.

 

Sans didn't really want to think about the state that his room must be in.

 

He dropped his pajamas into the hamper per his brother's instructions and stepped into the shower before closing the sliding door.

 

The hot water felt heavenly against his stiff bones. They popped as he moved them, the sound and sensation sending pleasant shudders down his spine.

 

God he was such a freak.

 

Sans allowed his mind to wander. A large mistake on his part.

 

He started thinking about you. The way your eyes sparkled whenever you were happy or something had your full and undivided attention. How your laugh was the most gorgeous thing he'd ever heard, especially when you snorted and desperately tried to convince him it was not attractive whatsoever. How your hair was so soft and silky whenever he'd run his phalanges through it. How you- How you-

 

Sans felt liquid running down his cheeks that he knew wasn't from the spray of the shower.

 

He slammed his fist into the wall.

 

He missed you.

 

He missed you so fucking much.

 

He wiped his eyes and finished cleaning up before stepping out and putting his freshly laundered clothes on.

 

Papyrus was waiting for him at the door with a sack lunch in his hand.

 

"I KNOW YOU WILL SAY THAT YOU DO NOT FEEL LIKE EATING RIGHT NOW, SO I HAVE MADE YOU LUNCH! SANS, I- Please eat it Sans. I'm- I'm _worried_ about you Sans. And you know that I never worry! I know you don't want to talk about it... But please know that I am here for you whenever you need me."

 

Sans felt his soul pulse in slight pain. He'd made Papyrus worry. Papyrus, who was always loud and proud and always smiling. He wasn't being or doing any of those things right now.

 

_You're such an awful big brother._

 

'Shut up,' Sans thought vehemently. But it was no good.

 

After all, when you yourself think you're no good, your thoughts will turn against you.

 

Outwardly, Sans mustered up a small smile.

 

"Sure thing, Bro. I'm sure whatever you made is topnotch as usual."

 

Papyrus hesitantly smiled back.

 

"BUT OF COURSE! I AM PRETTY GREAT AFTER ALL!"

 

Sans left after Papyrus hugged him and ran off.

 

Today was Monday.

 

"Okay. Let's just try to make it through the week."

 

Sans headed out the door, a small smile sitting on his face for the first time in a while.

 

* * *

You pushed the large, ornate purple doors open and were immediately hit with a blast of cold air.

 

"Wow okay yes hello cold air it's nice to meet you too!"

 

Frisk and Charlotte giggled at your obvious sarcastic suffering.

 

"Not a fan of the cold, Dear?"

 

"No Charlotte. No I am not. Thank God you made us these outfits, huh?"

 

Charlotte placed a hand daintily on her lips and blushed a lovely shade of lime green.

 

"I'm flattered that you like them so much."

 

The three of you stepped out of the Ruins and the doors shut ominously behind you.

 

There was snow and trees as far as the eye could see.

 

"Charlotte what is this place?"

 

"This, if memory serves me correctly, is Snowdin Forest. We have a ways to walk before we reach Snowdin Town I'm afraid."

 

' _Then we'd better start walking!_ '

 

You smiled at Frisk's enthusiasm.

 

"Sure thing, let's g-"

 

A flash of something from a nearby bush caught your eye.

 

"Hang on."

 

You kneeled down in front of the bush and moved some of the shrubbery out of the way.

 

A camera stared back at you.

 

"A camera?"

 

"Goodness! Do you think, perchance, someone is watching us?"

 

You let go of the bush.

 

"I sure hope not."

 

You and Charlotte elected to get away from the camera as quickly as possible. There was no telling who was watching the footage.

 

* * *

Somewhere in the Underground, far away from your position, an excited squeal could be heard coming from a large building with the word 'LAB' painted on it.

 

"O-oh m-m-my G-God! H-humans! Actual h-humans!"

 

Incoherent squealing ensued. 

 

* * *

You didn't know about Frisk and Charlotte, but the countless number of trees flanking both sides of the path were beginning to make you feel caged in.

 

Not to mention that there seemed to be no end to them in sight.

 

You noticed something laying in the middle of the path just a little bit ahead. It was a rather tough and heavy looking branch. You already had a stick in your duffle bag, so you didn't feel the need to get it.

 

Plus you doubted you could lift it.

 

You and Charlotte walked around the branch while Frisk jumped over it.

 

You were high-fiving them on their landing when you heard a loud _SNAP_.

 

You turned around immediately.

 

The branch had been broken.

 

But no one else was around.

 

Charlotte grabbed your hand and Frisk's.

 

"We need to keep moving. I don't like the looks of this new development."

 

You nodded and let her lead you and Frisk away.

 

You three were walking fairly swiftly when you heard footsteps crunching behind you.

 

You turned around to be greeted with-

 

Nothing. No one was there.

 

You had a sinking feeling in your stomach.

 

Charlotte quickened the pace.

 

Your band of three kept walking until you came across a small, wooden bridge. There was what appeared to be wooden bars across the bridge, but they were wide enough for you all to pass through with ease.

 

That was just what you were about to do.

 

And then you heard footsteps again.

 

You three were frozen with fear.

 

This was just like one of those horror flicks your shit of a cousin forced you to watch!

 

You heard the footsteps stop behind you. Then a low voice spoke.

 

**"H u m a n . D o n ' t y o u k n o w h o w t o g r e e t a n e w p a l ? T u r n a r o u n d a n d s h a k e m y h a n d ."**

 

You turned around slowly. You were shorter than whoever was speaking and didn't have the courage to look up at their face. You placed your hand into theirs.

 

 _Pffffffffftttttttttttt_...

 

Was that-

 

Was that a whoopee cushion?

 

You bit your lip in a vain attempt to stifle the onslaught of laughter you knew was to come.

 

You couldn't do it.

 

"Pfft- Hahahahahaha!"

 

Sans' eyes snapped open.

 

He had approached Frisk with the intent of going like they normally would before interrogating them. He didn't even have his eyes open the whole time he had been following them through the woods.

 

The kid _never_ openly laughed like that. They would just giggle usually.

 

He looked down.

 

And his soul skipped a beat.

 

It was _you._

 

He couldn't believe it.

 

You stopped laughing and took your hand back before looking up at whoever just pulled that awesome prank.

 

It was- _Oh._

 

It was a skeleton monster.

 

That was so cool.

 

"H-heheh... The old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. It's ALWAYS funny."

 

Frisk began giggling and the skeleton glanced over their way. Charlotte placed her hand on their head affectionately.

 

"Yes yes. It was quite amusing."

 

He locked his eyes back on yours and you felt a rush of déjà vu.

 

"Anyways, you're a human, right?"

 

You nodded.

 

"That's hilarious."

 

You... Weren't sure how that was hilarious.

 

"I'm Sans. Sans the Skeleton."

 

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Emily. That's Frisk and she's Charlotte."

 

Frisk hesitantly waved and Charlotte smiled.

 

"Delighted to make your acquaintance."

 

"Likewise. I'm actually supposed to be on watch for human right now."

 

Oh God help him if Charlotte had to step in.

 

"But... Y'know... I don't really care about capturing anybody."

 

You were about to breath a sigh of relief when he spoke up again.

 

"Now my brother, Papyrus... He's a human-hunting FANATIC."

 

Damn it.

 

You were really hoping that this would be easy.

 

"Hey, actually, I think that's him over there."

 

Sans was pointing past the gated bridge.

 

"I have an idea. Go through this gate thingy."

 

"Really," Charlotte stated blandly.

 

Sans didn't look at her, he kept his eyes on you.

 

"Yeah, go right through. My bro made the bars too wide to stop anyone."

 

Charlotte was understandably against letting you and Frisk head in the direction of a monster that liked to hunt humans, but Frisk just went on ahead and you and Charlotte followed close behind.

 

Sans was behind you all the while.

 

There was what appeared to be a stand of some sort. What it actually was, you had no clue.

 

There was also a rather large lamp that looked like it could hide three people behind it.

 

"Quick," Sans stated. "Behind that conveniently-shaped lamp."

 

You had just gotten behind the lamp when Sans began talking to someone.

 

"Sup, Bro?"

 

"YOU KNOW WHAT _SUP,_ BROTHER!"

 

Okay, wow. That was a very nasally voice. But not unbearably so.

 

"IT'S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T... RECALIBRATED. YOUR. PUZZLES! YOU JUST HANG AROUND OUTSIDE YOUR STATION! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?!?"

 

"Staring at this lamp. It's really cool. Do you wanna look?"

 

What?

 

Was Sans selling you and Frisk out?!

 

"Oh, I am going to _dust_ that little snitch," Charlotte hissed quietly.

 

Frisk tugged on her dress and shook their head 'no' before making a zipping motion over their mouth with their hand.

 

"NO!! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT!! WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE!?! I WANT TO BE READY!!! I WILL BE THE ONE! I MUST BE THE ONE! I WILL CAPTURE A HUMAN! THEN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS... WILL GET ALL THE THINGS I UTTERLY DESERVE! RESPECT... RECOGNITION... I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD! PEOPL WILL ASK, TO, BE MY, _FRIEND_ _?_ _"_

 

You three looked at each other. He definitely sounded confused, hesitant, and a tad bit hopeful about that last part.

 

So Sans' brother didn't have any friends? Or he did, but he just didn't have a lot.

 

You could relate to that.

 

You felt bad for Papyrus.

 

"I WILL BATHE IN A SHOWER OF KISSES EVERY MORNING."

 

Uhhh...

 

"Hmm..." Sans hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe this lamp will help you."

 

"Maybe you'd like to have your ribcage turned into a fireplace!" Charlotte was hissing threats again. She was really going to tear into Sans if he got you and Frisk caught.

 

"SANS!! YOU ARE NOT HELPING!! YOU LAZYBONES!! ALL YOU DO IS SIT AND BOONDOGGLE! YOU GET LAZIER AND LAZIER EVERY DAY!!!"

 

Sans knew Papyrus was trying to make things go back to how they used to be before he began spending all day in bed.

 

To someone who didn't know Papyrus as well as he did, it would look like his little brother was succeeding.

 

"Hey, take it easy. I've gotten a _ton_ of work done today. A skele- _ton._ "

 

Sans could see the three of you clear as day from this angle. Charlotte was glowering at him, no surprise there. He expected her to when he suggested his brother look at the lamp.

 

That didn't make it any less terrifying to see her angry.

 

Frisk was muffling their giggles with their mittens.

 

They were really making it hard to be mad at them.

 

And you...

 

You had your hands on your knees and your shoulders were shaking as you bit your lip to keep quiet.

 

Your lips looked as soft as ever...

 

Okay, now was _not_ the time for that!

 

"SANS!!!"

 

"Come on. You're smiling."

 

"I AM AND I HATE IT! SIGH..."

 

You had calmed yourself down enough by this point that you were able to process that _yes._ Papyrus did just say the word 'sigh' while sighing it.

 

"WHY DOES SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME... HAVE TO DO SO MUCH JUST TO GET SOME RECOGNITION..."

 

"Wow, sounds like you're really working yourself... Down to the _bone_."

 

"UGH!!! I WILL ATTEND TO MY PUZZLES... AS FOR YOUR WORK? PUT A LITTLE MORE, _BACKBONE_ INTO IT!!!! NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!!!"

 

Papyrus ran off to the east but then returned shortly after.

 

"HEH!"

 

And then he ran off once more.

 

Sans waited until his brother was out of sight before speaking up.

 

"Okay, you can come out now."

 

The three of you came out from behind the lamp. You were snickering slightly.

 

Sans lifted a bone brow.

 

"Oh? Did you find my jokes _humerus?"_

 

Your snickers turned into chuckles.

 

"Hehehe! I did find them to be pretty funny!"

 

God he loved you.

 

Too bad you didn't remember him.

 

Aaaaaannnnnnnnd he jus made himself sad. Great.

 

"Anyway... You three oughta get going. He might come back. And if he does... ...you'll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes."

 

He winked at you when he said that last part.

 

You gave a short laugh. "I wouldn't mind. I think you're funny."

 

Sans' cheeks tinged a soft blue. He averted his gaze and scratched at his cheek.

 

"H-heh. Thanks, Emily."

 

You decided you liked the way your name sounded when he said it. But you weren't sure why.

 

Charlotte took Frisk's hand and began walking in the direction Papyrus ran off to. You followed.

 

"Actually, hey..."

 

You turned back to Sans. His cheeks were flushed a deeper blue. He looked nervous.

 

"Hate to bother ya, but can you do me a favor?"

 

You cocked your head to the side. "What is it?"

 

"I was thinking... My brother's been kind of down lately... He's never seen a human before, And seeing you and Frisk might just make his day. Don't worry, he's not dangerous. Even if he tries to be."

 

You weren't sure about this. But seeing such a nervous expression on the guy that up until this point just seemed to be laid back and didn't have a care in the world...

 

It filled you with... Something you don't quite know or understand what it is.

 

"Sure thing!"

 

He looked shocked, the blush disappearing for a moment before coming back full force. He ducked his head into his jacket.

 

"Thanks a million. I'll be up ahead."

 

You were confused when he walked off in the opposite direction.

 

You just shrugged it off and ran to catch up with Frisk and Charlotte.

 

They were waiting at a crossroad for you. There was a box next to a sign and another one of those sparkly yellow things. You touched it.

 

***(The convenience of that lamp still fills you with integrity.)**

 

There it was again. A voice. It sounded faint like a whisper.

 

You wondered if Frisk could hear it too when they touched the sparkles.

 

Frisk pulled a pink leather glove out of the box and handed it to you. You put it into your duffle bag.

 

It would be quite a while before this thing was full.

 

You attempted to head north when your souls were pulled from your bodies.

 

***Snowdrake flutters forth!**

 

 ~~~~ ACT

 

> Snowdrake

 

> Joke

 

***You make a bad ice pun.**

 

"I've heard that one."

 

A flurry, heh, of crescent shaped, somethings, flew towards you and Frisk. Yu both somehow dodged them all.

 

***Snowdrake is smiling at its own bad joke.**

 

ACT

 

 ~~~~> Snowdrake

 

> Heckle

 

***Charlotte, despite not being a part of the FIGHT, boos the Snowdrake.**

 

"Is your flesh rotten as you?"

 

More, thingies.

 

ACT

 

> Snowdrake

 

> Laugh

 

Frisk laughs.

 

***You laugh at Snowdrake before it says anything funny.**

 

"What are YOU laughin' at?!?"

 

Skillful dodging.

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

Nothing happened.

 

"'Ice' to meet you."

 

More skillful dodging.

 

ACT

 

> Snowdrake

 

> Laugh

 

***You laugh at Snowdrake's pun.**

 

 

"See!? Laughs! Dad was wrong!"

 

Even more dodging.

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

***YOU WON!**

 

***You earned 0 XP and 12 gold.**

 

You three continued on your way north.

 

You were met with a river flowing east and a fishing rod.

 

Frisk approached the rod and reeled it in.

 

_**All that's attached is a photo of a weird-looking monster...** _

 

You jolt at the sound of the voice you kept hearing whenever you touched those sparkly things.

 

_**Wait. Can you...** _

 

_**Can you hear me?** _

 

_**Nod if you can!** _

 

You nodded slowly.

 

_**Ha! Yes! I figured it wouldn't take as long to break through your mind's defenses to make you able to hear me since you're down here and not on the surface! Still, two months is a long time.** _

 

_**Also, you can just think of what you want to say to me. I'll hear it.** _

 

_Who are you?! Why can I hear you?!_

 

**_What do you mean 'Who are you?' It's me, Chara! Don't you remember-_ **

 

**_You don't remember me. Do you?_ **

 

_No. I've never met anyone named Chara before in my life. Are you sure you didn't get me confused with someone else?_

 

**_No. You're Emily. I know you._ **

 

**_But you don't remember me._ **

 

_I'm sorry..._

 

It's quiet for a moment.

 

_**Don't be. Your soul's one of Integrity, not Determination. Of course you wouldn't remember the world being Reset.** _

 

_Huh?_

 

**_Something I'll tell you about now._ **

 

**_Look. You know those yellow things you and Frisk keep touching?_ **

 

**_Those are called 'Save Points.'_ **

 

**_Yes like in a video game._ **

 

**_Every human has the ability to use those points to SAVE their progress and LOAD back to when they last saved if they die. But only humans with Red Souls, Determination, are able to completely wipe the slate clean._ **

 

_Are you saying that I've been through all of this before and I just don't remember?_

 

**_No. This is your first time in the Underground._ **

 

**_But the world was Reset a little while ago. Years have been lost._ **

 

**_I don't know if you'll ever remember your past life._ **

 

_Did I know any of the people I've met?_

 

**_...Yes. And you've still got more to meet._ **

 

**_Or remeet._ **

 

**_And no, before you ask, I will not tell you about your past life. You will just have to either remain forever ignorant of it, or remember on your own._ **

 

**_Now wake up._ **

 

_Huh?_

 

**_You passed out. That's why we've been able to talk for so long without any interruptions._ **

 

**_If you make it back to the surface, try not to die._ **

 

**_Frisk would probably Reset again if you did._ **

 

**_Also don't mention me to them or anyone else._ **

 

You wake up to the feeling of being shaken.

 

Frisk is kneeling above you with tears in their eyes.

 

You sit up slowly and they grapple around your neck.

 

"Hey hey hey... Shhhhh... It's okay. I'm okay."

 

"Are you truly? You gave us both quite the scare, Dear."

 

You looked up at Charlotte.

 

"Yeah. Sorry. I guess I'm just tired. Didn't mean to worry you two."

 

Charlotte pouted a bit.

 

"Well... If you're absolutely certain... But if you start feeling faint tell me immediately! I have no qualms with carrying you."

 

She'd probably do it too.

 

You gat up and set Frisk down.

 

"Okay. Let's backtrack and head east this time."

 

Frisk nods and takes your hand. Charlotte hovers around you.

 

You have no idea if this 'Chara' person was telling you the truth, or if they're even real.

 

But you'll respect their wishes and not tell anyone about them.

 

Until they say otherwise of course.


	5. Darkness, Ice, and Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader gains insight to a character whose history has until now been an enigma inside of a jigsaw puzzle shrouded in mystery.
> 
> Also, meet Papyrus, explore a bit more, and basically have a really good time with your friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have returned.
> 
> Sorry that I've been gone for so long. To quote Dan Avidan, I caught a big ole case of the fuck you's.
> 
> Meaning that I just completely lacked the motivation to write anything that wasn't school related.

Location: T̟̙̥̮̪̹̗̣̫̟̣͖̂ͧͫ̄̉̄ͦ̿̿̾̍ͨ͒ͭ̂ͮͮ̽̌ẖ̩̤̩̘͎̙̌͒̾͊͋̌ͩͯ͒̈e̝̫͉͎̹̖͙̺̘̟̳͇̪͇̮̰͍̳̫͌̓̑ͨͪ͌̐ ̭̞̺̫͚̱̳̳̥͔̖̹̖̯̏ͥ̍V̮͇̭̘̥̹̲̘̣̫̰̱̤̱̟̯͍̼̎ͥ͑͊ͥ̇ͅo͈̟̜̟̭͙̹͙̓̎́̆̉̒̿̎ͥͤ̂͗̏̋̓ͦ̎̚̚i̪̱̹̳͕͎̟̝̖̦̥͙̙͚̠͎̝ͮ͋ͭͤ̿͗̄̐͒̃́̏d͉̫̳̙̱̫̠͔̩̥̟͖̪͙̜͚̼̰̙͗ͥͩ̅͌̉ͣ̐ͩ͐͂͂ͩ

　

To the untrained eye it would appear as if there was nothing to be seen infinitely.

　

But to someone that had been born in and had grown up in Darkland, everything was visible.

 

If someone were to befriend a person born in Darkland, they would be gifted with the ability to see what lay beyond the supposed impenetrable veil of black that seemed to be never ending to the uneducated orb.

 

* * *

Darkness was what greeted her eyes when she opened them.

 

Her father's concerned face when she removed the covers from her face greeted her next.

 

She sighed.

 

She thought that this shit was over and done with.

 

"Hey Dad," Tiny replied groggily.

 

"Figlia, ho pensato che lei ha dichiarato che questi eventi noi rivivere ripetutamente gli stessi giorni più e più volte sono state fatte con."

 

"I thought that they were too, Dad."

 

Tinnirius Starbomber was a complicated young woman with a variety of problems that no one would ever dare suspect her of having.

 

Problem one: Her mother and father didn't really speak to each other anymore.

 

Problem two: She had to constantly deal with monsters that didn't already know her mistaking her for a child.

 

Problem three: She wasn't a full-fledged monster.

 

Problem four: _The world really seemed to not mind being reset back to when the monsters were still trapped Underground and she still lived in Darkland with her Dad._

 

Tiny remembered -oh boy did she remember- every single time that time rewound itself to when Frisk fell into the Underground.

 

But no one else outside of the people that lived in Darkland did. Or at least it seemed as though no one else remembered.

 

She was still grieving the death of her best friend dammit!

 

Tiny hopped down from her bed and proceeded to increase the already large dent in the wall from times previous when she got frustrated. And then she stopped.

 

Time had rewound.

 

That meant that you were alive again.

 

Tiny's face split into a megawatt grin with three trails of tears of joy streaming down her face, and then it fell.

 

You wouldn't remember.

 

The thing that kept the people of Darkland from having their memories wiped was the fact that time was almost nonexistent there and therefore couldn't affect it on a large scale.

 

All it could do was rewind the inhabitants back to when Frisk fell.

 

Tiny wasn't discouraged though.

 

She jumped into her closet and changed into her trademark dress and cap.

 

"Piccola mia, dove stai andando fuori a?"

 

"Time's reset. That means the Royal Guard isn't disbanded anymore. Which means I've still got a job as Commander to do. I'll see you later, Dad!"

 

Her father waved one of his nubby arms at her as she tore through the town of Darkland.

 

She was greeted by several of the inhabitants. Not a one looking anything similar to the last.

 

The people who lived in Darkland weren't Monsters. They had blood and internal organs and the like.

 

But not Tiny.

 

Her father was a true native to Darkland, her grandparents on his side having been from there.

 

Here mother on the other hand was half Monster, half... Whatever the people of Darkland were called. Tiny wasn't really sure if anyone knew.

 

That made Tiny one fourth Monster. This set her apart from everyone else in Darkland drastically.

 

For one thing, she had no internal organs just like her mother. Another thing was that she had magic.

 

And the final thing that set her apart from everyone else in her hometown was something truly extraordinary and made others look at her as if she were some godlike force.

 

Residing deep within Tiny was a small, introverted, purple heart.

 

What most set Tiny apart from everyone else in Darkland was this.

 

Her soul.

 

Well... There  _was_ one other person in Darkland that had a soul. But he wasn't from there.

 

One day he just showed up out of the blue, according to Tiny's father, and he just integrated himself into Darkland's society.

 

Some called him Goo, others Man Who Speaks in Hands.

 

He asked her to call him Gaster. 

 

* * *

You left the area of land that revealed the icy river and headed to the east this time.

 

Awaiting you was Papyrus... And also Sans?

 

"Didn't-" you began. "Didn't he go in the opposite direction?"

 

You were positive he did. Your eyes were _not_ playing tricks on you!

 

The two brothers seemed to be engaged in conversation.

 

"SO, AS I WAS SAYING ABOUT UNDYNE," Papyrus began. But he stopped speaking when he caught sight of your misfit trio from the corner of his eye. Eyesocket? Eye.

 

He looked shocked at the sight of you, then turned to Sans who turned towards you. This repeated for a solid few minutes, almost comically before Papyrus wrapped his arm around Sans' shoulder and turned the both of them around.

 

"SANS!! OH MY GOD ARE THOSE... HUMANS!?!?!??!?!"

 

You had the feeling that Papyrus was a very poor whisperer, especially when he was excited.

 

"Uhhhh..." Sans stated eloquently. "Actually, I think that's a rock."

 

He was looking to the spot to your right and sure enough. There it was.

 

A rock.

 

Revel in its glory.

 

Frisk snickered and Charlotte held a hand to her mouth daintily.

 

"OH."

 

Ow your heart, he sounded so disappointed.

 

"Hey, what's that next to the rock?" Sans enquired.

 

Papyrus turned back to you with a startled expression.

 

"OH MY GOD!!! (IS... ARE THOSE HUMANS?)"

 

You called it, he sucked at whispering when riled up!

 

"(Yes.)"

 

Oh Sans was playing along! You found that to be adorable.

 

"OH MY GOD!!! SANS! I FINALLY DID IT! UNDYNE WILL... I'M GONNA... I'LL BE SO... POPULAR!!! POPULAR!!! POPULAR!!!"

 

You're pretty sure that you're going to die from how sugary sweet Papyrus' personality is.

 

And you're okay with that.

 

"... _'AHEM.'_ HUMANS! YOU SHALL NOT PASS THIS AREA! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL STOP THE TWO OF YOU!!! I WILL THEN CAPTURE THE TWO OF YOU! YOU WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE CAPITAL! THEN... THEN!!! I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S NEXT."

 

Well... That was reassuring.

 

NOT!!!

 

"IN ANY CASE! CONTINUE... ONLY IF YOU DARE!!! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!!!"

 

Papyrus ran off 'nyeh heh hehing' gleefully to himself.

 

"Well," Sans started, gaining your attention. "That went well."

 

You chuckled nervously. "Yeah... But what happens if he does somehow manage to catch us?"

 

"Don't sweat it, kid. I'll keep an eyesocket out for the two of ya."

 

He winked and then headed off after his brother.

 

You heard Charlotte breath a sigh of relief.

 

"Well, that could have gone a lot worse."

 

"Yeah. I'm surprised that Papyrus didn't seem to notice you though."

 

"He was probably caught up in the moment of coming across two humans. I'm certain he'll take notice of my presence once he's calmed down enough. On that note I'm no longer infuriated at Sans for attempting to give away our hiding place a while back. His brother really doesn't seem like he could hurt anyone."

 

_'Yeah! He seems really cool!'_

 

Frisk smiled in a way that seemed genuine, but you could tell a fake smile from a real one and what Chara told you came back to the front of your mind.

 

Just how many times has Frisk pretended to not know the people down here?

 

You'd ask them about it if it didn't mean breaking your promise to Chara about not mentioning them to Frisk.

 

_**Her.** _

 

_What?_

 

**_I go by female pronouns. I know, it's kinda hard to tell with my voice right?_ **

 

_Yeah... Sorry._

 

**_Don't be. But yeah, please don't try and talk to Frisk about the Resets just yet._ **

 

_Can I know why I'm not supposed to?_

 

**_With every Reset comes a change._ **

 

**_The first time Frisk ever fell down into the Underground... Well..._ **

 

**_Let's just say that it wasn't a happy time for anybody and leave it at that for now, okay?_ **

 

_... Okay. But now I wanna know._

 

**_Perhaps I'll give you Frisk's origin story if they don't do it first. Heck, I'll probably retell you mine, but give more detail than I did the first time._ **

 

**_I kinda omitted some information that I think you'll find relevant to yourself._ **

 

_Okay? I think?_

 

Chara didn't answer back after that.

 

Frisk was looking up at you quizzically.

 

"Yeah Frisky Business?"

 

_'I asked if you thought Papyrus was cool too. Are you okay?'_

 

You waved of their worries.

 

"I promise, I'm fine! Just a bit tired. And yes, to answer your question, I think he's very cool."

 

In a lovable, dorky way.

 

"He's certainly... Something," Charlotte interjected.

 

She... Wasn't really sure if 'cool' was the word she'd use to describe Papyrus. But that was neither here nor there.

 

The three of you pressed on in the direction that the skeleton brothers headed off into.

 

You spotted a cardboard stand with a construction paper sign taped onto it.

 

But Frisk was already a bit too far up ahead for your liking so you didn't stop to read it.

 

They had stopped in front of a small sign.

 

*** Absolutely NO MOVING!!!**

 

You cocked your head to the side in confusion and shrugged your shoulders.

 

You'd long ago stopped trying to rationalize the strange that was the Underground.

 

Frisk was walking slowly by your side now, almost clinging.

 

Was something about to happen?

 

You got your answer when you saw movement from the corner of your eye. You froze.

 

A black and white dog Monster was coming up from behind the counter of what you were guessing was a sentry post.

 

After all, Charlotte did mention that there was a Royal Guard. It would make sense to have members posted in various locations to keep watch.

 

"Did something move?" the monster asked himself.

 

Was he... Smoking a dog treat?

 

"Was it my imagination? I can only see moving things."

 

Wow. Okay, that's very inconvenient.

 

"If something _was_ moving... For example, a human..."

 

Oddly specific, but go on.

 

"I'll make sure it _never_ moves again!"

 

And thus you and Frisk's souls were pulled out.

 

*** Doggo blocks the way!**

 

ACT

 

> Doggo

 

> Pet

 

*** Doggo is too suspicious of your movements.**

 

"Don't move an inch!"

 

A light blue dagger was coming straight towards you and you began to back away until Frisk grabbed your hand. You stilled and the dagger passed right through your soul, not causing a single point of damage.

 

OH. You get it now.

 

*** Doggo can't seem to find anything.**

 

ACT

 

> Check

 

*** Doggo 6 ATK 1 DEF**

 

*** Easily excited by movement.**

 

***Hobbies include: squirrels.**

 

"Will it move this time?"

 

You stay perfectly still, as does Frisk.

 

ACT

 

> Doggo

 

> Pet

 

*** You pet Doggo.**

 

"WHAT!!! I'VE BEEN PET!!!"

 

You once again stay still as Doggo loses his mind over pets.

 

*** Doggo has been pet.**

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

*** YOU WON!**

 

*** You earned 0 XP and 30 gold.**

 

"S-S-S-Something pet me... Something that isn't m-m-moving... I'm gonna need some dog treats for this!!!"

 

Doggo ducked back under the counter and you could hear his pitiful distressed whining.

 

Charlotte urged you and Frisk along before Doggo could have the chance to see you two.

 

In the next area was a small frozen pond.

 

"Hey Frisk, let's take a break and skate for a bit!"

 

You always loved to skate when you had the chance. You were by no means graceful on the ice or the least bit good at it, but you always had fun. Your mom, dad, and brother would get tired of it pretty quickly, but you stayed when they went to have snowball fights.

 

You silently wondered if you'd ever get to see your older brother or visit your parent's graves again.

 

The ice was thankfully thick enough to slide around on, thus you grabbed Frisk's hands and began moving backwards slowly.

 

"You're probably not used to this since you lived in Ebbot all your life, right? I used to live where we'd get a good portion of snow and it would get cold enough to where the pond in our backyard would freeze solid. The trick is to just try and keep your balance. Think you can handle it?"

 

Frisk nodded and you let go. They did good for a few seconds and then fell flat on their face. You slid over to help them but they raised their hand and got up by themselves.

 

_'I got this.'_

 

Such an independent child. You supposed they'd have to be, with the parents they had and all.

 

If you ever got back to the surface, you didn't care what it would take.

 

You'd never let those horrible people take Frisk away. Hell, someone had hopefully notified the police of your disappearance and by chance maybe Frisk's and their birth parents had been deemed unfit to raise any child whatsoever.

 

Maybe, if you got to the surface, Mom could adopt Frisk. You were too old according to human law, but you had no doubt that Toriel might try and adopt you as well if you were okay with it.

 

And you were very okay with it.

 

Speaking of Mom...

 

You slid to the edge of the pond and pulled out your phone.

 

_"Hello? This is Toriel."_

 

"Hey, Mom."

 

_"Emily, my child! How are you faring? It's not too cold for you, is it? Is Charlotte keeping an eye on you and Frisk? How is Frisk?"_

 

"Hehehe! We're okay Mom! Everyone's okay. It is a bit nippy but I can always stand close to Charlotte if it gets too cold for my liking. Frisk is fine, they're having fun in all this snow and ice. Oh! We also met a skeleton monster named Papyrus! He's really gung-ho about catching a human to be in the Royal Guard, but honestly he seems like the sweetest person I've ever had the pleasure of meeting."

 

_"Well that's goo to hear my- Wait a moment. Did you say 'Papyrus'?"_

 

"Uh-huh. Why? Do you know him?"

 

_"Hmhm. Certainly not. But- You remember when I told you about my friend behind the door leading out of the Ruins?"_

 

"The one you tell jokes with, yeah."

 

_"He mentioned having a brother named Papyrus. Now, it could just be coincidence..."_

 

"Oh my God! Sans is the joker behind the door! Mom, Mom, Mom! It's totally not a coincidence. We also met a skeleton monster named Sans and he's been telling some of the best horrible puns I've ever heard! I'm convinced he's the one you've been joking with."

 

_"Oh. So his name is Sans... How wonderful it is to know the name of my companion."_

 

A mischievous grin made its way across your face.

 

"Mooooooom~? Do you have a crush on Saaaaaans~?"

 

_"A-absolutely not! I am simply pleased to know his name is all! Besides... Though he may have become a miserable creature, my soul will always belong to my husband. Wretched though I may find him now. It is... Very difficult for a Monster to hate, and even then I do not hate my husband. We are beings made of magic, compassion, and love after all. Forgive me my child but I believe I smell something burning."_

 

That was a lie. You could hear her getting choked up, trying to fight back tears. She never told you her husband's name or what it was he did, but she'd always get this thousand yard stare when she spoke of him. 

 

The dial tone droned dully in your ear. You hung up and put your phone away.

 

"Bad connection?"

 

"Jesus Tap-dancing Christ on his way to a performance!"

 

You clutched the area above your heart and whirled your head around to see Sans standing there.

 

He was trying not to chuckle.

 

"Heh. Sorry. Didn't mean to startle ya. Mind if I sit?"

 

"Go ahead."

 

He plopped down next to you in the snow.

 

"Hey, here's something important to remember."

 

You looked over at him, he was giving you a sideways glance.

 

"What is it?" 

 

"My brother has a very special attack. If you see a blue attack, don't move and it won't hurt you. Here's an easy way to keep it in mind."

 

He turns his body to you and raises his hands in front of him.

 

"Imagine a stop sign. When you see a stop sign, you stop, right?"

 

"Yeah. Or you ignore it and break the law, one of the two."

 

"Heh. But seriously though let me finish explaining."

 

"Sorry, oh Wise One."

 

You did as best a mock bow as you could while sitting. Sans found it amusing.

 

"Heh. Okay so... Stop signs are red. So imagine a blue stop sign instead. Simple right?"

 

"Pretty much, yeah."

 

"When fighting, think about blue stop signs."

 

"Thanks for the heads up, Sans. I've already had some practice thanks to Doggo though."

 

"Dog **gone** , I should've stuck around to explain it before you fought him then, eh?"

 

"Might've been helpful. I actually tried to move away until Frisk stopped me."

 

Sans' face got all serious when you mentioned Frisk.

 

"No kidding? The kid must have a sixth sense or something."

 

You shrugged your shoulders. It wasn't like you could tell him what Chara had told you. Or like he would believe you.

 

_Uh, yeah. So this dead child told me that the kid I'm currently on this adventure with has gone through it a multitude of times._

 

You didn't see that going over particularly well.

 

You sat in the snow with Sans in comfortable silence until a snowball hit him square in the face.

 

He wiped off and the both of you whipped your heads around to see...

 

Charlotte laughing?

 

"Oh! Oh good Lord! Oh, that was completely juvenile of me, but you should see your face! Ha! Oh what's the matter? Can't handle a bit of snow?"

 

Sans chuckled and rotated his neck until it cracked.

 

"Oh, I can handle it. Can you?"

 

Charlotte's grin turned almost feral.

 

"Bring it."

 

Thus you and Frisk were pulled into a snowball fight. Frisk with Charlotte, you with Sans.

 

From the looks on the two Monster's faces...

 

You had a feeling everyone was in for a good time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tiny's dad is speaking in Italian for those of you who may want to google translate.
> 
> Also,
> 
> MOTHERFUCKING TINY IS BACK JESUS CHRIST YES
> 
> I have an idea of how I want her dad to look. Body wise, think King Boo. As for coloration, I'm not sure, nor am I sure about the face.
> 
> Anyone want to guess who Tiny's mom is? I'll give you a hint. It's an in game character, not one I've made up. One that pretty much everyone ignores and no one tries to give a backstory to.


	6. So Many Dogs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You, Frisk and Charlotte continue on through the Underground after a small break and snowball fight.
> 
> Also, there are many dog monsters down here.
> 
> Not that you mind, you love dogs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm slowly trying to get back into the swing of things with writing.
> 
> I really hope my story writing skills haven't diminished while I've been putting off getting back to this fic.

The four of you lay on the ground, exhausted.

 

Charlotte had told Sans to bring it and he sure as Hell brought it all right.

 

Sans was _really_ good at dodging.

 

You, not so much.

 

"Well, I'm going to feel gross once all this snow melts on me. That's the one thing I don't like about snowball fights."

 

Charlotte laughed breathlessly from her position on the ground next to you.

 

"I can't say I'll ever have the displeasure of knowing what that feels like. Still, you have my sympathies."

 

You slowly rose up to a sitting position. Ow, ow, okay ow.

 

Someone must've nailed you in the back at some point during the fight because it seriously hurt like a bitch.

 

You hissed in discomfort which caused Charlotte to rise up in alarm.

 

"Are you alright?!"

 

"Yeah, I must've gotten hit really hard in the back though. It's really throbbing right now."

 

You didn't have time to process Charlotte moving behind you.

 

"Hold still."

 

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Charlotte's hands begin to glow green, and small, green embers slowly floated out of them.

 

As slow as molasses on a warm summer's day, which is not very slow at all, you felt the pain in your back recede.

 

"Thanks, Charlotte," you sighed in grateful relief.

 

"Think nothing of it, Emily."

 

With great difficulty, you made your way to a standing position and looked around. The four of you may have gotten the tiniest bit out of control with your snowball fight. There were new snow piles everywhere.

 

You noticed Frisk was moving their arms and legs back and forth contentedly on the ground.

 

"Having fun," you inquired as you made your way over to them.

 

They moved their arms to sign a response, but you didn't see their answer on account of something that was half your height barreling into you from the side.

 

"Ooof!!!"

 

Sans' eyesockets snapped open when he heard your breathless outburst. It didn't matter that you didn't remember, you were his soulmate and he'd protect you from anyone and anything in the Underground.

 

He sprang up, well, as best a guy as lazy as him could, and locked his attention on to you, ready to defend you.

 

He relaxed once he saw who it was that had pounced on you.

 

You blinked slowly as you looked at the writhing mass of fur that was snuggled into your lap.

 

It was another dog monster.

 

Only this one was wearing armor and looked like an actual dog in the face area.

 

"(Pant pant.)"

 

_**That's Lesser Dog. She's one of the soldiers in the Royal Guard. Doggo is too.** _

 

_Why is she looking at me like that?_

 

**_She wants pets._ **

 

You carefully move your hand and place it onto Lesser Dog's head. The instant you do, her neck gets the tiniest bit longer.

 

_Uhhhhhhhhh??????_

 

**_Don't worry, that's normal._ **

 

You continued to pet Lesser Dog and her neck continued to elongate.

 

Behind you, Sans was snickering.

 

You turned your head towards him and Lesser Dog whined and did her best to butt her head into your hand. Which was very difficult to do seeing as how her neck had all the properties of a cooked noodle.

 

"I see ya've met Lesser Dog. Don't worry about the whole 'neck getting longer every time you pet her' thing. It's normal. Happens whenever someone new pets her. She'll stop doing it once she gets used to you."

 

Frisk and Charlotte had finally removed themselves from both laying and sitting on the ground respectively and had wandered over to see what all the fuss was about.

 

Frisk got really excited and began petting Lesser Dog immediately, not stopping until her neck was so long that it almost passed the tree tops and began to descend.

 

You think Frisk may have a problem.

 

"So, does her neck just retract if you don't pet her for a while?"

 

Sans nodded the affirmative.

 

"Yeah, it's always really weird to watch."

 

And it was.

 

It was like watching a tape measurer go back into its holder, just a lot slower.

 

Lesser Dog was loving the attention though. She sniffed you, Frisk, and Charlotte -who had not pet her, much to the soldier's disappointment- and she even attempted to make off with one of Sans' bones.

 

"Whoa there, L.D.! Remember what the Captain talked to you and the others about? You can't take me and my bro's bones."

 

Lesser Dog lowered her ears in shame and barked out what you guessed was the doggy equivalent of 'yes.'

 

The four of you waved goodbye to Lesser Dog as she scampered off to continue her patrol. But not before she licked your faces goodbye.

 

"Well," Charlotte began. "She was friendly."

 

"Yeah. The Snowdin K-9 Unit is pretty much always friendly with everyone, whether they're old friends or new acquaintances. My bro's waiting for you a little further up ahead. I'd better get back to him before he gets worried. Take care."

 

"You take care as well, Sans."

 

_'Bye, Sans...'_

 

"Later Sans!"

 

You waved enthusiastically goodbye. Charlotte had definitely _warmed up_ to Sans. You mentally berated yourself for that one. You loved terrible puns, but you didn't think you were ay good at coming up with them. Anyway...

 

You were convinced that Sans was a really good guy and really cared about his brother's happiness. But to be honest you're pretty sure that anyone who saw those two interact with each other would realize that in an instant. Frisk...

 

Frisk seemed like they felt guilty whenever they even looked at Sans. Why though?

 

_**That's a question I'm willing to answer because it won't really tell you anything about what happened in the previous timeline.** _

 

_**Frisk had promised last timeline that they would never Reset again.** _

 

_**Obviously, they broke that promise. But I don't think Sans minds it all that much.** _

 

_Why's that?_

 

**_That I can't tell you._ **

 

**_Like I said before, you'll either remember on your own, or forever remain blissfully ignorant of the events that led up to this Reset._ **

 

**_Sorry, I just really don't want to tell you anything that might make you regret your decision to follow Frisk._ **

 

**_I don't want you to have to remember something awful that happened to you like I do._ **

 

**_!!!_ **

 

**_I-_ **

 

**_I've said too much._ **

 

Chara went quiet after that.

 

Something bad happened to you? Or something bad happened to someone you cared about and that affected you badly?

 

You were going to lose sleep over this. But you were fairly sure that Chara wasn't going to speak of it until you remembered. Which, according to them, may be never.

 

The three of you had been walking in comfortable silence to the north, but Charlotte placed her hands on your and Frisk's shoulders.

 

"What's wrong?"

 

Charlotte looked down at you.

 

"Well, for starters, this is a dead end. Another thing is that there's a snowman over there."

 

You looked back and sure enough there was a snowman sitting there. Frisk put their hand on Charlotte's and gently removed it from their shoulder before running up to the snowman.

 

"Hello."

 

Oh. A talking snowman.

 

FROSTY IS THAT YOU?!?!?!?

 

"I am a snowman."

 

Who would've guessed? Okay, your thoughts were getting kind of sassy right now.

 

"I want to see the world... But I cannot move. If you would be so kind, traveler, please... Take a piece of me and bring it very far away."

 

Frisk reached out and took a small chunk from the snowman.

 

"Thank you... Good luck!"

 

Frisk waddled back to you and Charlotte and motioned for you to take off your duffle bag. You did so and unzipped it.

 

Toriel had made sure that the three of you would have something to eat on your way to the next area and packed two butterscotch-cinnamon pies. They were pretty large, but they didn't even take up one third of the space in your bag. You also had a few spider donuts in there from when you bought some a few weeks ago.

 

Good thing monster food doesn't spoil! Also a good this that Toriel had some Tupperware that you put the pies and donuts in.

 

The stick was still in there, as was the glove, toy knife, and ribbon. There was the miniature first aid kit that had a multitude of bandages in it. And you still had that sandwich holder you used to keep a donut in. You put the snowman piece in that.

 

You zipped the bag shut and slung it over your shoulder once more.

 

"East is the direction I think we need to head. I mean, it's not like there's anywhere else to go."

 

Charlotte and Frisk agreed and the three of you headed back and went east this time.

 

The three of you hadn't gotten far when you ran into Sans and Papyrus again.

 

"YOU'RE SO LAZY!! YOU WERE NAPPING ALL NIGHT!!"

 

"Pardon me, I do hate to interrupt. But I believe that's what most people refer to as sleeping," Charlotte interjected.

 

Papyrus jumped at the sound of Charlotte's voice.

 

"NYEH!!!"

 

"Oh, my apologies. I didn't mean to startle you."

 

Papyrus collected himself.

 

"I CAN SEE HOW YOU WOULD THINK I WAS STARTLED, BUT THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS NEVER CAUGHT OFF GUARD!!! I APOLOGIZE, BUT I'M GOING TO HAVE TO ASK YOU TO MOVE ALONG. FOR YOU SEE, I AM AWAITING THE ARRIVAL OF TWO HUMANS SO THAT I MAY CAPTURE THEM WITH MY INGENIOUS PUZZLE!!!"

 

"You mean these two humans?"

 

Papyrus, whose eyes had been closed while he was giving his speech and posing heroically, opened his eyes in shock.

 

"NYEH?!?! DON'T TELL ME YOU'VE ALREADY CPTURED THE HUMANS- ERRR, I'M SORRY, I NEVER ASKED YOUR NAME."

 

"Charlotte. Charlotte Sunburst. And to answer your question, no. I haven't captured these humans."

 

"OH! WELL THAT'S A RELIEF! WHILE I'M CERTAIN YOU TRIED YOUR VERY BEST MISS CHARLOTTE, ONLY THOSE IN THE ROYAL GUARD (OR WHO ARE IN TRAINING TO BE IN THE ROYAL GUARD) SHOULD TAKE ON THE DAUNTING TASK OF CAPTURING HUMANS!"

 

"That's a good point, Papyrus."

 

"THANK YOU SANS! BUT DON'T THINK YOU'RE OFF THE HOOK! HONESTLY, NAPPING ALL NIGHT. DON'T YOU TAKE YOUR JOB SERIOUSLY?!"

 

"Hey, c'mon bro. Like Charlotte said, I was sleeping."

 

"EXCUSES, EXCUSES!"

 

Papyrus pinched his nasal bridge and let out a frustrated sigh. He looked up at you and Frisk after a moment.

 

"OH-HO! I'D NEARLY FORGOTTEN THAT THE HUMANS HAD ARRIVED! IN ORDER TO STOP THE TWO OF YOU... MY BROTHER AND I HAVE CREATED SOME PUZZLES! I THINK YOU WILL FIND THIS ONE... QUITE SHOCKING!!!"

 

You get the feeling that Papyrus just made a pun and didn't realize it.

 

"FOR YOU SEE," he continued, "THIS IS THE INVISIBLE... ELECTRICITY MAZE!!! WHEN YOU TOUCH THE WALLS OF THIS MAZE, THIS ORB WILL ADMINISTER A HEARTY ZAP! SOUND LIKE FUN??? BECAUSE! THE AMOUNT OF FUN YOU WILL PROBABLY HAVE, IS ACTUALLY RATHER SMALL I THINK. OK, YOU CAN GO AHEAD NOW."

 

You stared blankly at Papyrus and looked down at Frisk who shrugged their shoulders. You turned to look at Charlotte, but she wasn't there. You turned back to Papyrus and Saw that Charlotte had made her way to the other side. Probably by walking along the edges of the maze and avoiding all contact with it.

 

You and Frisk couldn't have taken more that two steps into the maze when Papyrus was spontaneously electrocuted.

 

"SANS!!! WHAT DID YOU DO?!?!"

 

"I think the humans have to hold the orb."

 

"OH, OKAY."

 

With that, Papyrus proceed to make his way over to you and Frisk. While doing so, he left a clear trail of where you were supposed to walk. When he was finally standing in front of you he placed the orb on your head. Good god he had to be at least a foot and several inches taller than you! You hated being short.

 

"HOLD THIS PLEASE!"

 

He then ran back to stand beside Sans.

 

"OKAY, TRY NOW!"

 

Taking Frisk's hand, the two of you breezed through the maze.

 

"INCREDIBLE!! YOU SLIPPERY SNAILS!! YOU SOLVED IT SO EASILY... TOO EASILY! HOWEVER!! THE NEXT PUZZLE WILL NOT BE EASY!"

 

Oh no. You didn't like it when things weren't easy...

 

"IT IS DESIGNED BY MY BROTHER, SANS!"

 

You changed your mind, it was probably going to be beyond easy. Sans was such a laidback guy, he probably hadn't put much effort into his 'puzzle.'

 

"YOU WILL SURELY BE CONFOUNDED! I KNOW I AM! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!!"

 

Papyrus made a move to leave, but was startled again when he realized that Charlotte was behind him.

 

"NYEH!!!"

 

He ran away. Probably to avoid being embarrassed.

 

_'He's so cool~'_

 

You think that maybe Frisk had the smallest of crushes on Papyrus.

 

"Hey."

 

You turned to look at Sans.

 

"Hey."

 

"Thanks... Y'know, for doing this. My brother seems like he's having fun."

 

You smiled at him.

 

"No problem! I'm having fun, too."

 

God your smile...

 

He missed seeing it.

 

"Heh. Well then this works out great for everyone then, doesn't it? By the way, did you see that weird outfit he's wearing? We made that a few weeks ago for a costume party. He hasn't worn anything else since... Keeps calling it his "battle body." Man. Isn't my brother cool?"

 

"Definitely one of the coolest people I've had the pleasure of meeting."

 

He was glad you thought Papyrus was cool and all. But he couldn't help the tiny flare of jealousy he felt just then.

 

"Awesome. Glad you agree. I'll see you three later then."

 

With that, Sans was off again.

 

And so were you three. You had an end goal to reach after all!

 

On the way you ran into an ice cream -sorry, you meant Nice Cream- vendor. He was a blue rabbit monster named Mint. He was really bummed out that his frozen treats weren't selling. None of the three of you were surprised given the fact that you were in an area that was nothing but _ice and snow_. Still, you felt bad for the guy and bought three Nice Creams. He perked right up and wished the three of you a super-duper day.

 

Venturing forth still, you came across a large snowball game with a hole at the end. Whenever you'd start moving the snowball, it would begin to melt. Frisk spent a long time trying to get the snowball to the hole before it melted. They finally succeeded and a red flag popped out of the hole along with some gold for their efforts.

 

You also ran into Sans again, who was selling fried snow. How one could successfully fry snow without it melting was beyond you.

 

Your party of three travelled south and then east once more after the 'Fried Snow Incident' that you will never ever never forever speak of again. Ever.

 

Once again blocking your path was Papyrus. And also... Sans?

 

_Okay, how does he keep doing that?! Are there some secret shortcuts that I'm not seeing?!_

 

**_Heehee! Something like that._ **

 

"HUMANS!!! I HOPE YOU'RE READY FOR..." Papyrus trailed off.

 

He whipped his head around for a moment before addressing Sans, irritated.

 

"SANS! WHERE'S THE PUZZLE!!!"

 

"It's right there. On the ground."

 

Papyrus gave Sans one of those 'Really?' looks.

 

"Trust me. There's no way they can get past this one."

 

You picked up a piece of paper from off the ground and examined it.

 

Oh, it was a word search.

 

You managed to spot every word except for 'giasfclfebrehber.' There was a 'giasfclfubrehber' however.

 

You set the word search back down.

 

"Your brother is right, Papyrus. There's no way to complete this puzzle. One of the words is off by one letter, making it impossible to solve."

 

Papyrus looked outright offended.

 

"SANS!!! YOU GAVE THE HUMANS A FAULTY PUZZLE! I CAN'T CAPTURE THEM LIKE THAT! THEY MUST HAVE AT LEAST A VERY SLIM CHANCE OF SOLVING THE PUZZLE!"

 

"Whoops. I knew I should have used today's crossword instead."

 

"WHAT!? CROSSWORD!? I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT!! IN MY OPINION... JUNIOR JUMBLE IS EASILY THE HARDERST."

 

"What? Really, dude? That easy-peasy word scramble? That's for baby bones."

 

"UN. BELIEVABLE. HUMAN!!!" He was pointing at you. "SOLVE THIS DISPUTE!"

 

_**He wants you to tell him which one you think is harder. Jumble or Crossword.** _

 

"Uh, Crosswords are definitely harder."

 

Papyrus looked a tad put off by your answer.

 

"YOU TWO ARE WEIRD! CROSSWORDS ARE SO EASY. IT'S THE SAME SOLUTION EVERY TIME. I JUST FILL ALL THE BOXES IN WITH THE LETTER 'Z'... BECAUSE EVERY TIME I LOOK AT A CROSSWORD... ALL I CAN DO IS SNORE!!! NYEH HEH HEH!!!"

 

With that, Papyrus ran off once more.

 

"Papyrus... ...finds difficulty in interesting places. Yesterday he got stumped trying to "solve" the horoscope."

 

"You... There's nothing for one to solve about the horoscope."

 

Sans simply shrugged and gave you a lazy grin.

 

You pressed on.

 

Further up ahead was another mouse hole, a note, and two tables. One with a plate of spaghetti, another with an unplugged microwave on it. You checked the plate.

 

"This plate of spaghetti is so cold that it's stuck to the table. And it's hard as a rock!"

 

"Adding to that, all the settings on this microwave say 'Spaghetti,'" Charlotte chimed in.

 

Frisk, meanwhile was... Oh. The were using a Save Point, you hadn't noticed it.

 

*** (Knowing the mouse might one day find a way to heat up the spaghetti...)**

 

*** (It fills you with determination.)**

 

You picked up the note while Frisk was saving.

 

"Oh, hey this note's from Papyrus."

 

HUMANS!! AND MISS CHARLOTTE.

PLEASE ENJOY THIS SPAGHETTI.

LITTLE DO THE THREE OF YOU KNOW, THIS SPAGHETTI IS A TRAP...

DESIGNED TO ENTICE YOU!!!

YOU'LL BE SO BUSY EATING IT...

THAT YOU WON'T REALIZE THAT YOU AREN'T PROGRESSING!!

THOROUGHLY JAPED AGAIN BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS!!!

NYEH-HEH-HEH,

PAPYRUS

P.S. THIS IS MEANT AS A TRAP ONLY FOR THE HUMANS!! MISS CHARLOTTE NEEDN'T FEAR THE THOUGHT OF BEING CAPTURED.

BECAUSE SHE'S NOT A HUMAN.

 

The three of you reread the note several times before you all burst out laughing.

 

You thought to yourself how you'd really like to have Papyrus as a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made Lesser Dog a girl because I don't think that it ever says what gender they are. We know Doggo's, Dogamy's, Dogaressa's, and Greater Dog's, but not Lesser Dog's. At least I don't remember the game ever saying it. If I'm wrong, please, someone tell me.


	7. So Many Dogs 2: The Barkquel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You continue making your way to the next area in the land of ice and snow and encounter even more dogs than last time.
> 
> Also, Papyrus is a precious cinnamon roll that must be protected forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again to you all! What's this? I'm updating once more?
> 
> WHAT DARK WITCHCRAFT IS THIS?!?!
> 
> P.S. Stumbled across this gif and found it to be hilariously fitting for this chapter.

After pausing for a moment to collect your bearings you did a quick inventory check to make sure nothing had fallen out of the bag, Frisk saved once more, and Charlotte had dried your slowly-getting-wet-from-the-snow clothes by embracing you for a few minutes. Thus the three of you adventure seekers were soon once again on your way, heading in the east most direction.

 

You immediately spotted a small wooden sign a read it aloud.

 

"Warning: Dog Marriage. O- Kay then...? I can only assume that this means that two dog monsters are getting married? Why would a warning be necessary for that? Charlotte?"

 

"Hmm? Ah, yes. Well, I don't know if humans still have dogs on the surface, but dog monsters -especially those with high stats- are extremely protective of the members of their pack. When two dog monsters marry, they will have no other desire but to keep one another safe from any potential threat to their mate. They identify danger levels by smell. Hmm... The two of you would most likely be, pardon the pun, sniffed out by the two recently bonded mates and they would immediately grow suspicious of you two. Probably attacking outright. I would suggest rolling around on the ground in this instance. They'd think you smelled like a strange puppy if you did so, and that would put them at ease."

 

Oh. Well, that was certainly a pretty detailed explanation.

 

That's one of the things you loved about Charlotte. She had the patience to give detailed descriptions and explanations of various things about monster culture.

 

"Thank you, Charlotte. We'll definitely remember that if we're unfortunate enough to run into the couple, right Frisk?"

 

_'Right! I'll smell like the best weird puppy ever!'_

 

You supposed it was important for the six year old to have goals.

 

Pressing onward south, you encountered a group of three monsters. It was Snowdrake again, who seemed relieved to see you three, a monster with what appeared to be a hat made of ice on their head, and... Umm. What you could only describe as some sort of eldritch horror abomination.

 

Snowdrake fluttered towards your group and beckoned the ice wearer over.

 

"Err... Sorry, Jerry! But I promised Icecap I'd introduce him to my new friends! You, uh, wouldn't be interested in meeting them! They, uh, don't like cheese curls...?"

 

'Jerry' as you now knew him as, sighed irritable and rolled his watery, black eyes.

 

"Uuuuuuuuugh. So laaaaaaame. You'd think that since you hung out with me all the time, you'd find some _cool_ new people. Whateveeeerrrrrr."

 

"R-right! So, uh, later, Jerry!"

 

Snowdrake ushered your group and Icecap back north.

 

*** You and the other monsters ditch Jerry.**

 

Once you were an acceptable distance away, Snowdrake and Icecap gave out huge sighs of relief.

 

"Thank GOD we're rid of him. He was totally eyeing my hat, you saw right?! Probably wanted to take it for himself... Ugh, Jerry..."

 

"Dude, I don't think even _Jerry_ would want to steal your hat."

 

Snowdrake turned to you.

 

"Anyways... Thanks for bailing us out of there. Jerry's always hanging around us and the other teens that prowl around the forest. Honestly, we'd all hang out with him if he wasn't such an gigantic jerkwad all the time. Oh, you're wanting to head to Snowdin Town, right? Here..."

 

Snowdrake led the three of you to three trees and pushed around some snow in the center of them.

 

"There's a switch somewhere under here... Ah! Got it! There, now the spikes should be down and you can head into town."

 

"Thanks, Snowdrake! Keep up the good work with your comedy act!"

 

" _Snow_ problem!"

 

Icecap groaned in frustration as he and Snowdrake walked away, complaining about how his friend 'needed to get better material than what that Sans guy was always saying.'

 

Jerry was thankfully gone by the time the three of you made your way back down south.

 

"Honestly, I feel slightly bad for that child. But not bad enough to try and find some people to hang about him."

 

You and Frisk agreed with Charlotte and pressed further into the frozen tundra.

 

...unfortunately for you and Frisk, you hadn't made it very far before you froze in place at the sound of sniffing.

 

Coming from the south were two large dog monsters. Larger than Doggo and L.D. by a few inches. They were dressed in matching black pants and black hoodies that had their faces on them like those stupid 'his/hers' shirts.

 

Oh God. Was this the dog couple?

 

Did you mention that they were carrying axes with faces on them?

 

"What's that smell?"

 

Okay, the one to your left was the guy.

 

"(Where's that smell?)"

 

And the girl was a soft spoken individual it seemed.

 

"If you're a smell..."

 

"(...Identify yoursmellf!)"

 

And now the were finishing each other's sentences and the girl told a pun.

 

The couple began sniffing wholeheartedly at the ground all around you and eventually came back to where you and Frisk were between them.

 

"Hmmm... Here's that weird smell... It makes me want to eliminate."

 

"(... Eliminate YOU!)"

 

*** Dogi assault you!**

 

ACT

 

> Dogamy

 

> Roll around

 

*** The two of you roll around in the dirt and snow.**

 

*** You smell like a couple of weird puppies.**

 

"Number two Nuzzle Champs '98!!"

 

"(Of course we were second.)"

 

Blue and white hearts burst from Dogamy as he nuzzles Dogaressa affectionately.

 

It was a bit difficult, but you and Frisk managed to not get hit.

 

*** The dogs may want to re-smell you.**

 

ACT

 

> Dogamy

 

> Re-sniff

 

*** The dogs sniff you two again...**

 

***After rolling around in the dirt, you two smell all right!**

 

"What! Smells like..."

 

"(Are you two actually little puppies!?)"

 

More hearts to dodge. You're successful. Barely.

 

*** The dogs think that you two may be lost puppies.**

 

ACT

 

> Dogamy

 

> Pet

 

*** You pet Dogamy.**

 

"Wow!!! Pet by another pup!!!"

 

"(Well. Don't leave me out!)"

 

Still more hearts.

 

ACT

 

> Dogaressa

 

> Pet

 

*** You pet the Dogaressa.**

 

"(A dog that pets dogs... Amazing!)"

 

"What about me.............."

 

Even more hearts.

 

*** The Dogs' minds have been expanded.**

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

*** YOU WON!**

 

*** You earned 0 XP and 40 gold.**

 

"Dogs can pet other dogs???"

 

"(A new world has been opened for us...)"

 

"Thanks, weird puppies!"

 

The dog couple happily scampered off with nuzzling each other's noses.

 

Charlotte breathed out a sigh of relief at your and Frisk's success.

 

"Thank goodness that situation didn't take a turn for the worse! I had a feeling that the girl would have pounced on you quite viciously if you hadn't done as I had instructed and rolled around."

 

"Dogaressa? But she was so shy?"

 

"More often than not, it is the shyer dog monster in a pair that is the fiercer of the two."

 

"Oh."

 

Well, it was certainly a good thing that you had no intention whatsoever of harming a single monster at all.

 

And you never would, so long as you could make the choice not to.

 

It's not like there'd ever come a FIGHT where MERCY wasn't an option!

 

...right?

 

Right. Moving on.

 

Heading south brought you and your travel buddies to yet another puzzle. There was a small wooden sign that explained that all you had to do was turn all the 'X's' into 'O's' and then flip the switch.

 

Doing so brought the spikes blocking the way and startled Papyrus, whom you hadn't even noticed was there, and caused him to turn around.

 

"WHAT!? HOW DID YOU TWO AVOID MY TRAP? AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY... IS THERE ANY LEFT FOR ME???"

 

OH GOD. He was talking about his spaghetti. He looked so hopeful, too. You didn't want to outright say that none of you had even attempted to eat it but-

 

"We left it alone."

 

God dammit, Charlotte.

 

"REALLY!? WOWIE..."

 

OH LORDY LOO, HERE COME THE DISAPPOINTMENT!!!

 

"YOU RESISTED THE FLAVOR OF MY HOMECOOKED PASTA... JUST SO YOU COULD SHARE IT WITH ME???"

 

"Uh, yes definitely absolutely that's why we didn't touch it."

 

"FRET NOT HUMANS! (AND MISS CHARLOTTE.) I, MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS... WILL MAKE YOU ALL THE PASTA YOU COULD EVER WANT! HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH NYEH!"

 

You three once again watched as Papyrus ran off while laughing gleefully. You followed the direction he went and ran into him once again.

 

He looked embarrassed.

 

"ERR... GREETINGS ONCE MORE, HUMANS AND MISS CHARLOTTE! AH. HMMM. HOW SHOULD I PUT THIS? WELL, YOU THREE WERE TAKING SO LONG THAT I ATTEMPTED TO MANIPULATE THE SNOW AROUND THE NEXT PUZZLE TO LOOK LIKE MY FACE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE SNOW FROZE TO THE GROUND AND NOW THE SOLUTION TO THE PUZZLE IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT! NOT EVEN I KNOW IT!"

 

He said that with such pride that it took him a moment to realize what he had just said and the way he had said it.

 

"OH, WAIT. THAT'S NOT GOOD ONE BIT. FEAR NOT! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL HAVE THIS PUZZLED FIGURED OUT IN NO TIME! FEEL FREE TO TRY AND SOLVE IT YOURSELVES THOUGH."

 

Frisk ran up ahead, eager to try the puzzle out. Charlotte went along with them to ensure that no harm would come to their person. That just left you and Papyrus standing beside some trees, the latter of the two of you seemingly lost in thought.

 

"HUMAN," Papyrus spoke up, startling you.

 

"Y-yes?"

 

He seemed a bit hesitant to say what he wanted to. But he mustered up the nerve to speak what was on his mind.

 

"I WANTED TO ASK YOU A QUESTION. THE SMALLER HUMAN IS OBVIOUSLY A CHILD DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE WEARING STRIPES. BUT YOU DO NOT APPEAR TO BE. THAT BEING SAID, IT'S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT YOU ARE WEARING A STRIPED SHIRT UNDERNEATH YOUR COAT, BUT I HAVE TO ASK... Human..."

 

Why did his voice just get really quiet? You didn't think that that was even possible!

 

"...are you an adult?"

 

"...yes."

 

"AH-HA! I HAD A FEELING YOU WERE! OF COURSE, THE GREAT PAPYRUS' INSTINCTS ARE NEVER WRONG! THIS MAY COME AS A SHOCK TO YOU HUMAN, GIVEN MY CHARMING BOYISH NATURE, BUT I TOO AM AN ADULT!"

 

You had to keep yourself from laughing.

 

"R-really now?"

 

"INDEED! I AM CURRENTLY TWENTY-ONE YEARS OLD AND SHALL TURN TWENTY-TWO IN JUST BUT A FEW SHORT MONTHS! MY BROTHER IS TWENTY-SIX YEARS OLD, IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING. HOW OLD ARE YOU, HUMAN?"

 

Didn't he know that it was rude to ask a lady her age? Just kidding, you didn't really care.

 

"I'm twenty-three. Also, you can call me Emily, it _is_ my name after all."

 

"WAIT, HUMANS HAVE NAMES?! I THOUGHT THAT THEY ALL JUST REFERRED TO EACH OTHER AS 'HUMAN!' WOWIE, SO HUMANS HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON WITH MONSTERS! THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME KNOW HUM- I MEAN, EMILY."

 

When he said your name, it was like when someone was trying a new food. He said your name slowly, but smiled with confidence as he did.

 

"EMILY, THEN! IF I MAY ASK, WHAT IS THE SMALLER HUMAN'S NAME?"

 

"Their name is Frisk."

 

"'FRISK' HMMM? I LIKE IT! VERY, HUMAN-Y SOUNDING!"

 

You giggled at Papyrus' statement.

 

"HMMM? WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING? OH NO... IS MY BROTHER NEARBY, CRACKING MORE OF HIS HORRIBLE PUNS? YOU KNOW, MY BROTHER STARTED A SOCK COLLECTION RECENTLY. HOW SADDENING... SOMETIMES I WONDER WHAT HE WOULD DO... WITHOUT SUCH A COOL GUY TAKING CARE OF HIM???"

 

"I'm sure he wouldn't know what to do without you, Papyrus."

 

"NYEH HEH HEH! BUT OF COURSE! I AM PRETTY GREAT AFTER ALL!"

 

Frisk suddenly came bounding back towards the two of you with Charlotte in tow.

 

"They solved the puzzle. Most easily as a matter of fact."

 

At this, Papyrus ran over to the puzzle in shocked awe.

 

"WOW!!! YOU SOLVED IT!! AND YOU DID IT ALL WITHOUT MY HELP... INCREDIBLE! I'M IMPRESSED!! YOU MUST CARE ABOUT PUZZLES LIKE I DO, FRISK! WELL, I'M SURE YOU'LL LOVE THE NEXT PUZZLE THEN! IT MIGHT EVEN BE TOO EASY FOR YOU!! NYEH! HEH HEH! HEHEHEH!!!"

 

Papyrus ran off once more.

 

_'How'd he know my name? I never told him.'_

 

"I did. I figured he could at least use our names since he's trying to 'capture' us and all. Honestly, I think he just wants a friend or two. Hey, maybe we can get him to call you just 'Charlotte' instead of 'Miss Charlotte,' eh?"

 

"That would be most preferable. While I may be several thousand years old, I'm not so old to be referred to as 'Miss' by anyone just yet."

 

The three of you had a good laugh at that and moved on. You ran into Sans once again who congratulated Frisk on getting the puzzle done so fast.

 

Moving up a little further ahead, you ran into Papyrus yet again... And also Sans.

 

_You know what, no. I am not going to question it._

 

_**That would be for the best right now. You three are way behind on getting to Snowdin. You've wasted half the day already!** _

 

Had it really only been half a day? It felt like so much longer than that.

 

"HEY! IT'S YOU TWO! EMILY AND FRISK! AND ALSO MISS CHARLOTTE!"

 

"You can just refer to me as 'Charlotte,' no need to add the 'Miss' in front of it."

 

"OH, VERY WELL THEN! ANYWAYS," Papyrus pointed to you and Frisk, "YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE THIS PUZZLE! IT WAS MADE BY THE GREAT DR. ALPHYS! YOU SEE THESE TILES!?"

 

Well now you did. Honestly if he hadn't said anything, you wouldn't have noticed them.

 

"ONCE I THROW THIS SWITCH..." Papyrus continued on. "THEY WILL BEGIN TO CHANGE COLOR! EACH COLOR HAS A DIFFERENT FUNCTION! RED TILES ARE IMPASSABLE! YOU CANNOT WALK ON THEM! YELLOW TILES ARE ELCTRIC! THEY WILL ELECTROCUTE YOU! GREEN TILES ARE ALARM TILES! IF YOU STEP ON THEM... YOU WILL HAVE TO FIGHT A MONSTER!! ORANGE TILES ARE ORANGE-SCENTED. THEY WILL MAKE YOU SMELL DELICIOUS! BLUE TILES ARE WATER TILES. SWIM THROUGH IF YOU LIKE, BUT... IF YOU SMELL LIKE ORANGES! THE PIRAHNAS WILL BITE YOU. ALSO, IF A BLUE TILE IS NEXT TO A YELLOW TILE, THE WATER WILL ALSO ZAP YOU! PURPLE TILES ARE SLIPPERY! YOU WILL SLIDE TO THE NEXT TILE! HOWEVER, THE SLIPPERY SOAP... SMELLS LIKE LEMONS!! WHICH PIRANAHS DO NOT LIKE! PURPLE AND BLUE ARE OKAY! FINALLY, PINK TILES. THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING. STEP ON THEM ALL YOU LIKE."

 

You think you followed Papyrus' explanation pretty well.

 

"HOW WAS THAT!? UNDERSTAND???"

 

"Yeah, I think so. Frisk?"

 

Frisk nodded their head in the affirmative.

 

"GREAT!! THEN THERE'S ONE LAST THING..."

 

Oh no, what could it be?

 

"THIS PUZZLE..."

 

Yes? YES?????

 

"IS ENTIRELY RANDOM!!!!!!! WHEN I PULL THIS SWITCH, IT WILL MAKE A PUZZLE... THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE! NOT EVEN I WILL KNOW THE SOLUTION! NYEH HEH HEH! GET READY...!"

 

Papyrus flipped the switch and the once varying shades of grey tiles began to switch between a multitude of colors. The kept switching faster and faster until...

 

They stopped. The puzzle was a clear pink path with red tiles lining both sides.

 

Well...

 

Papyrus _did_ say that the puzzle would be completely random...

 

Speaking of Papyrus. He was just staring at the puzzle. And then he spun out of the room.

 

No really. He literally _spun_ out of the room.

 

Sans, meanwhile, was snickering to himself quietly.

 

"Heh, heh heh snrk. Hey, actually, remember that spaghetti from earlier? It wasn't too bad for my brother. Since he started cooking lessons, he's been improving a lot. I bet if he keeps it up, next year he'll even make something edible."

 

"What- What did he put into the spaghetti?"

 

You were afraid of what the answer might be.

 

Sans shifted his eyes to the side nervously.

 

H- Heh... Uh... Glue, glitter, pine needles, etcetera, etcetera... Stuff that should _not_ go into pasta, that's for sure."

 

You are suddenly _very_ glad that you did not attempt to eat the plate of frozen spaghetti.

 

Very glad indeed.

 

With that, Sans trailed after you and your companions to the next area.

 

Snow dogs. Snow dogs everywhere.

 

"... I'm guessing by the broken, elongated necks of these snow dogs, this is L.D.'s sentry station."

 

"You'd be guessing correctly. She always gets so excited that she can't help but continue adding more snow to her sculptures until they fall apart."

 

You were observing the fallen snow art when you slipped on a hidden patch of ice.

 

"Whoa!"

 

You closed your eyes and waited for the painful meet up with the ground, until you felt two strong and boney arms wrap around you.

 

Sans had caught you and was now holding you in a dip-like fashion.

 

"Heh. _Falling_ for me already, _ice_ see."

 

You blinked slowly at him and he began panicking mentally that it was too soon for him to be starting the cheesy pickup lines before you burst out laughing.

 

"HAHAHAHAHAH!!!! Oh my God! The timing for that was _perfect!_ I mean seriously, just spot on!"

 

"H- Heh heh... Wh-what can I say? Guess I'm a pretty _cool_ dude..."

 

You noticed that Sans' cheeks were tinged a light azure blue again.

 

Was he embarrassed?

 

Maybe not a lot of people actually laughed at his awful yet funny puns?

 

That was most definitely it. It couldn't possibly be because of anything else. Nope.

 

Sans lifted you back up and set you down gently, away from the ice patch.

 

Fisk and Charlotte, meanwhile, were making obnoxiously fake kissing noises in the background. Frisk more than Charlotte, but the woman of fire still joined in.

 

Your cheeks burned red and you mouthed 'Stop that!' to them.

 

"A-anyways, I'll see the three of you later!"

 

Sans trudged away from the three of you, probably to go catch up with Papyrus.

 

Your cheeks finally stopped feeling hot and you noticed a Save Point in between some fallen snow dogs.

 

*** (Knowing that Frisk and Charlotte will probably tease you about what just happened with Sans later...)**

 

*** (It fills you with integrity.)**


	8. Snowed In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You, Frisk and Charlotte finally make it to Snowdin Town after nearly a day of trying to reach it.
> 
> The three of you meet all sorts of nice people and receive some news that will affect your travels.
> 
> Meanwhile, a certain Commander of the Royal Guard is facing a personal crisis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings and salutations dear readers! 
> 
> So, this semester's coming to a close at a rapid pace, winter break will soon be here before we all know it!
> 
> Which means I'll have more time (hopefully) to work on STSF. I know that a handful of you were wondering about regular updates, believe me I'm trying to fit working on this story into my schedule, but life happens.

_'You should totally flirt with him the next time you see him!'_

 

Your cheeks burned crimson at the cheeky remarks Frisk was making.

 

"We all _literally_ just met Sans today! I don't know if you know this, but asking someone that you met only a few hours ago out on a date is way up there on the creep scale! Also, I'm not really all that interested in dating anybody."

 

You finally slid to a stop on the switch that was at the far end of the large patch of ice. It was another one of those 'turn the X's into O's' puzzle that was embarrassingly simple to figure out.

 

Charlotte and Frisk both slid up next to you and the three of you watched as ice magically materialized and connected the two ledges of land. Skating forward, the three of you passed a barrage of thin trees that flanked both the left and right sides of the ice path. Emerging on the other side, you found that a clump of snow had fallen onto your head in the shape of a top hat before it crumbled away.

 

For some reason, you felt a pang of sad nostalgia at the sight of the snow top hat.

 

"Truly, Dearest? You have no desire to be romantically involved with another living being?"

 

You shrugged.

 

"Well, yeah. I mean, is it really that strange to not want a relationship with someone?"

 

Growing up, you had noticed early on that you were a bit different from the other girls in your schools. You never wanted to go to any school dances in middle school and high school. You had never felt attracted to any boy or girl, not that there weren't attractive ones that attended your school! There were, but you had never felt the urge to ask either gender out on a date.

 

You used to have friends. A lot of them stopped hanging around you once they learned that you didn't have the same drive as they did to find a date mate.

 

Kids... Kids could be really cruel to their peers when they didn't fit their description of 'normal.'

 

Charlotte snapped you out of your self-loathing musings.

 

"No! Not at all! It's just... When I was a small child, the humans that I met who were not opposed to the existence of monsters always seemed to be trying to find someone to share the rest of their lives with. I suppose that times certainly have changed..."

 

You hummed in thought.

 

"Well, there are still a lot of people who think that way. I'm not saying that they're wrong with wanting to find love, I've just never met anyone that made me want that too."

 

_'I still think you and Sans would look cute together!'_

 

You ruffled Frisk's hair affectionately. You were certain that nothing in the whole wide universe that could ever get you to be angry at them. Upset? Probably. But never angry.

 

The path up ahead split. There was a path directly in front of you and one down south.

 

_'Let's go to the right!'_

 

South it was then.

 

Motivating down the rightmost path greeted the three of you with a most peculiar sight. 

 

"GOSH DANG TEENAGERS WITH THEIR DAGUM GOOGLY EYES!"

 

Four giggling teenage monsters rushed past you in an attempt to get away from a very peeved... Deer...?

 

Yes, deer.

 

Obviously, it was a monster. It's antlers seemed to have tiny trees growing out of the tops of them and small white eyes at the bases. Its mouth opened vertically, revealing zipper like teeth that appeared to be gritted in agitation. There was a photograph stuck to one of its trees and a few candy canes hanging from the other. And upon its face were indeed two very large googly eyes.

 

"Oooooh! Just _wait_ until I get my hooves on those little rascals! Their parents are gonna get _such_ an earful! A lady such as myself shouldn't have to deal with pucky like this..."

 

You noticed the deer's voice had an almost southern twang to it.

 

"Um... Excuse me, ma'am?"

 

"WHO IN THE SAMHILL GOES THERE?!"

 

"Whoa! Okay! No need to attack! Do you maybe want some help getting that stuff off of you?"

 

She sniffed at you haughtily.

 

"An' how'm I supposed to know it ain't a trick?"

 

You cocked your eyebrow in confusion.

 

"Why would I want to trick you? You clearly don't like having all that stuff on you. I'm just offering to help remove it is all.

 

"Hmmm..."

 

The deer monster approached you cautiously.

 

"A'ight. I'ma trustin' ya..."

 

You started with the googly eyes so she could see who it was that was helping her out.

 

"Oh Lord have mercy! I may have four eyes, but these tiny little dots can only see what's to my left and right respectively."

 

You then removed the photo and candy canes carefully so as you didn't accidentally tug on her horns.

 

The deer moved her neck from side to side.

 

"Thank ya kindly, young'n. Sorry 'bout all that shoutin' and whatnot earlier."

 

You shook your head dismissively.

 

"It's fine! If I'd been in your place, I would've been pretty upset myself!"

 

"By the by, name's Gyftrot. If there's one thing my Mama taught me, it's manners."

 

"I'm Emily. This is Frisk and Charlotte," you pointed to them as you introduced them. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

 

Gyftrot gave you a kind of smile.

 

"Likewise. Welp, I guess I'd better mosey on along back to the forest before those hoodlums come back. Ya'll take care now, ya hear?"

 

You waved goodbye to Gyftrot.

 

There wasn't really much of anything else in that area to explore. There was a cave further on with a door in it, but it was locked.

 

So the three of you backtracked and continued heading east.

 

The next area contained a vast amount of snow piles, or snow poffs as Chara referred to them as. There was also a little dog house.

 

_Great... More dog monsters..._

 

Now you loved dogs to bits, but you honestly weren't looking forward to another encounter that was similar to the dog couple's.

 

Frisk was checking every snow poff in the area and actually found thirty gold pieces in one of them.

 

You noticed that the snow poff farthest ahead was shaking slightly. You approached it cautiously and moved the snow off of whatever was underneath. It was...

 

Oh.

 

It was a pudgy, fluffy little pomeranian.

 

"Oh well hello there~!"

 

The pomeranian looked up at you and shook the remaining snow off of it. It then proceeded to hop up and down in an attempt to get you to pick it up.

 

"Alright, alright! Up we go!"

 

**_That's Greater Dog._ **

 

**_He usually has his armor on..._ **

 

**_I wonder if something happened to it._ **

 

_Is he a member of the Royal Guard too?_

 

**_Yes._ **

 

**_And I agree, he's so pudgy it's adorable._ **

 

You were idly petting G.D. on the head and he panted contentedly.

 

You brought him up to your face and whispered to him.

 

"Hey there, boy. What happened to your armor, Greater Dog?"

 

G.D. barked excitedly and looked towards his doghouse.

 

"Oh? It's in there? Are you taking a break? You wanna play? Huh? Is that it?"

 

G.D. leapt out of your arms and pawed the ground excitedly. You maneuvered your bag, unzipped it, and pulled the stick out.

 

"You wanna fetch? Go fetch!"

 

You threw the stick and G.D. bounded after it in a quick hurry. He returned shortly after with the stick clutched between his teeth. He dropped it in front of you.

 

You played fetch with G.D. for a solid ten minutes alongside Frisk and Charlotte. Poor little guy got tuckered out with so many people willing to play with him.

 

G.D. gave out a little doggy yawn before he licked your face and trotted off into the doghouse for a nap.

 

"That was certainly time pleasantly spent," Charlotte stated.

 

_'We should come back and play with him some other time!'_

 

You smiled at Frisk and hoisted them up.

 

"Don't worry, we will."

 

_'Yay! I'm sure he'll be happy to see you again, big sister!'_

 

You lightly bonked their forehead with yours and set them back down.

 

You made sure that you put the stick back and zipped your bag up before the three of you ventured any further.

 

Once you did start moving forward again, the three of you came across a long wooden bridge. You could faintly make out the silhouettes of Sans and Papyrus.

 

The latter of the two seemed to be brimming with enthusiasm when you approached, the former looked as laid back as he had all day.

 

"EMILY! FRISK! AND CHARLOTTE! THIS IS YOUR FINAL AND MOST DANGEROUS CHALLENGE! WELL, IT IS FOR EMILY AND FRISK, I HAVEN'T BEEN CHALLENGING YOU, CHARLOTTE. AHEM... BEHOLD! THE GAUNTLET OF DEADLY TERROR!"

 

Above and below the bridge that had once been clear were now filled with dangerous traps... And a dog. An actual dog, not a monster dog. How did you know this? Something about the way it swung side to side in the rope it was bound in with a dopey look on its face convinced you.

 

"WHEN I SAY THE WORD," Papyrus carried on, "IT WILL FULLY ACTIVATE!!! CANNONS WILL FIRE! SPIKES WILL SWING! BLADES WILL SLICE! EACH PART WILL SWING VIOLENTLY UP AND DOWN! ONLY THE TINIEST CHANCE OF VICTORY WILL REMAIN!!! ARE YOU READY!? BECAUSE! I! AM! ABOUT! TO DO IT!"

 

For a moment, everything was quiet as you waited for the final puzzle to activate.

 

"Well? What's the holdup?"

 

Sans just basically said what the three of you were all thinking.

 

"HOLDUP!? WHAT HOLDUP!? I'M... I'M ABOUT TO ACTIVATE IT NOW!"

 

Another quiet moment and still nothing happened.

 

"That, uh, doesn't look very activated."

 

"WELL!!!  THIS CHALLENGE!!! IT SEEMS... MAYBE... TOO EASY TO DEFEAT THEM WITH. YEAH! WE CAN'T USE THIS ONE!!! I AM A SKELETON WITH STANDARDS!!! MY PUZZLES ARE VERY FAIR! AND MY TRAPS ARE EXPERTLY COOKED!"

 

You, Charlotte and Frisk all shared a look at this.

 

"BUT THIS METHOD IS TOO DIRECT! NO CLASS AT ALL!  AWAY IT GOES!"

 

Papyrus pressed a button on a remote that you had previously overlooked and the final puzzle disappeared.

 

"PHEW!"

 

Papyrus had turned around to breath a sigh of relief and then seemed to remember that you were still there. When he turned back around, his cheeks were stained a bright orange.

 

"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!? THIS WAS ANOTHER DECISIVE VICTORY FOR PAPYRUS!! NYEH!! HEH!! ... HEH???"

 

He rushed off in an embarrassed stupor, leaving Sans behind to talk with you.

 

"Well," you began. "That was certainly... A thing that just happened."

 

Sans chuckled awkwardly at his brother's actions.

 

"Yeah... I- I honestly don't know what's up with him today. I mean, he's cool no matter what it is he does... But Papyrus just seems... _Off_ today."

 

Of course, Sans knew that that was partly his fault. What with the way he'd been acting, it was no wonder that his little brother wasn't bringing his 'A-game' today. Frisk had noticed the subtle shift in Papyrus' mood as well. They stared after him with a well concealed look of concern that anyone that hadn't watched them Reset after Reset or gotten to know them as well as he had wouldn't be able to pick up on.

 

You just smiled patiently at him.

 

"No problem. Really! We all have days where we don't give it our all, even if we're really trying to! I'm sure it'll pass and he'll be back to how he normally is in no time!"

 

"You... You really think so?"

 

"Mhm! I know that we only just met today, but your brother wears his heart on his sleeve! Er, metaphorically speaking of course..."

 

Sans chuckled at that.

 

"Hmhm. Yes, though we have only known your brother for a relatively short passage of time, he is an earnestly hard worker that gives anything he sets out to do his all."

 

_'Y-yeah! Papyrus is one of the nicest, hardest working people I've met!'_

 

The kiddo's first 'words' to him since this Reset started. Their choice of wording was carefully chosen so as not to arouse suspicion.

 

"Oh! Uh, do you know sign language?"

 

Sans was startled out of his innermost thoughts by your voice.

 

"Huh? Oh, yeah, actually. My, uh... My old man taught me when I was real little and I've polished up my signing skills over the years. Heh. Even taught Paps when he was old enough to understand. Believe it or not, when he was little, Papyrus didn't really want to talk all that much. Barely said a word to anyone. SO when I taught him sign language, he was thrilled. Referred to it as 'our secret code.' Obviously, he grew out of that phase."

 

You tried to imagine Papyrus not wanting to speak, even at the lower volume he used earlier.

 

You couldn't.

 

"Anyways... I'm not entirely sure what it is that my brother's going to do next, but if I were you, I'd make sure I understood how blue attacks worked."

 

Sans wandered off in the direction that Papyrus had fled. In the distance, you could see the roofs of buildings.

 

"C'mon. I think we're almost there."

 

And indeed you were. In just a few short minutes, you had arrived to Snowdin Town.

 

You weren't sure exactly what you were expecting, but it definitely wasn't a town that resembled a winter wonderland. Nearly every building had Christmas lights on them and you could see a rather large pine tree sitting in the middle of town decorated to the nines with presents overflowing underneath it.

 

You wondered if the monsters actually knew when Christmas was, or if they just didn't care, seeing as how they were underneath a mountain and the area that they were in was always filled with ice and snow.

 

You were taking in the sights when you felt something hard and solid crash into your leg.

 

"Ow!"

 

You looked down to see a small yellow monster with no arms that resembled a dinosaur. They looked up at you.

 

"Whoa! Sorry lady! I was in such a rush that I didn't see you there! My name's Monster Kid, but everyone calls me MK! Nice to meetcha!"

 

MK was looking up at you sheepishly until they took notice of Frisk.

 

"Whoa! Hey! You're a kid just like me right?! I can tell because you're wearing stripes! I guess you heard me say it already, but my name's Monster Kid! What's yours?"

 

Frisk signed their name and M.K. just cocked their head to the side.

 

"Huh?"

 

You were about to tell M.K. what Frisk had signed when a light, airy voice stopped you.

 

"F-F-Fr-Fri-is-s-s-s-k... M-my-y-y N-na-aye-aye-ame is Fr-Fris-s-sk."

 

It had clearly been a while since Frisk had used their voice. Sure, they told you sorry over and over when the two of you were at the top of the mountain, and had mumbled to the sentient rock, but that had been two months ago.

 

You knelt down to Frisk.

 

"Hey. Don't strain your voice too much, okay? That doesn't mean stop talking, but it's been a while since you've done that. Your throat hurts now, doesn't it?"

 

Frisk nodded and Charlotte scooped them up.

 

"I'll take Frisk to the shop and see if the shopkeep has anything for a sore throat."

 

Monsters, as Charlotte once told you, could get sick. And that meant that they could come down with the occasional illness like humans could. Sore throats being no exception.

 

You watched Charlotte carry risk off and felt a tug on your coat. You looked down at MK.

 

"So why can't Frisk talk very well?"

 

"Well, Frisk talks by using their hands instead of their voice."

 

"Why?"

 

"I... I actually don't know why."

 

This statement was one hundred percent true. Frisk's parents may have been unattentive, but that didn't mean that they were abusive. There had never been any screaming or crashes from things being thrown coming from Frisk's home, so you weren't sure what the reason behind their muteness was.

 

MK looked down at the ground sadly for a moment before perking right back up.

 

"Well, that's okay! I can learn what all those weird hand symbols mean and maybe help Frisk out with using their voice! We'll be the best of buds, just you wait!"

 

The energetic dinosaur monster ran off gleefully but didn't get very far before they tripped and landed on their face. You were about to rush over to help them up until they set their legs back and pushed up with help from their tail.

 

"No worries lady! Happens all the time!"

 

And thus they ran off into the distance to do God knows what.

 

You made your way towards where Charlotte had taken Frisk to. It was a quaint little shop, the kind that had a little bell above the door that dinged every time someone entered or exited.

 

"-ank you again for your help. Really, you've done us a huge favor."

 

"Think nothing of it, Sugar. Always happy to help out someone in need."

 

Charlotte was chatting with a purple bunny monster whom you assumed ran the shop. Frisk was preoccupied with a small bag of what looked like candy, but the label clearly said 'cough drops.'

 

They waved tiredly at you as you made your way over to them.

 

"Oh? Is this that other friend you were talking about?"

 

Charlotte turned her head towards you and smiled.

 

"Yes, this is she. Emily, this is Sable. She runs this establishment and her younger sister Fern runs the Inn next door."

 

You held your hand out.

 

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am."

 

"Likewise, Sugar. Not to pry or anything like that, but you three aren't thinking of trying to leave Snowdin after this, are you?"

 

Charlotte gazed at Sable confused.

 

"Yes, actually. Why."

 

Sable shook her head.

 

"There's a blizzard coming tonight. A real bad one. No one's gonna be able to leave or enter town once it hits or even after it's over for a few days. My advice to you three, take up residence at the Inn for a spell and head on out once it's safe enough to leave town."

 

You were very conflicted. You wanted to get through the Underground as swiftly as possible, but Sable more than likely knew what she was talking about.

 

"Thank you, Sable. We'll do just that. C'mon Frisk, Charlotte. Let's see if we can get a room."

 

You may have just arrived in Snowdin, but it was late and was somehow getting dark, despite being underneath a mountain. And with the impending blizzard, you really didn't want to waste time exploring the town just yet.

 

Fern was a sweet bunny monster whose fur reminded you of the snow outside, as did her son's. Earnest, as he was called, took an immediate liking to Frisk and the two played with some handmade dolls of his before the three of you headed upstairs.

 

"I do hope that the three of you will be comfortable! Have a pleasant- Earnest. Earnest, no. You can play with Frisk tomorrow. They need to get some sleep, same as you young man. Now march your fluffy behind to the tub and get ready for bed, okay Sweetie?"

 

The room you were give was very spacious. There were two queen sized beds and a fire place on the left-hand side of the room.

 

You and Frisk peeled off your gloves, hats, scarves, and coats and hung them near the now lit fireplace, courtesy of Charlotte, who had the foresight to make the two of you some pajamas. A bathroom connected to the room and Frisk was the first one in. They didn't take very long and soon came out in their red striped blued onesie. You went in and got out in a short amount of time as well. Your set of pajamas wasn't a onesie, just some flannel two piece.

 

You insisted that Charlotte be the one that got a bed to herself and Frisk gladly crawled under the covers next to you.

 

For the first time that day, you fell asleep voluntarily.

 

* * *

Tiny stared at the line her father had drawn on the doorframe.

 

He was measuring her height at her request.

 

Why?

 

Over the past two months, Tiny had noticed that she was beginning to not have to stretch as far to reach items as she used to.

 

In the doorframe was a large indention that indicated her sealed form had stagnated in its growth.

 

A good foot above it was the line her father had just drawn.

 

Tiny wasn't happy about this.

 

Her sealed form was growing.

 

It shouldn't be doing that, it should be staying the height it had always been and her unsealed form would remain how tall she could be.

 

Tiny felt her nonexistent gut fall.

 

Her sealed form was growing at a rapid-fire pace. And she had a feeling she knew exactly when it would stop.

 

Pretty soon, Tiny's unsealed form would be her _only_ form.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, this story isn't boring any of you, is it? I know that there's quite a few stories kind of like this one on Ao3, but I feel like I need to write it with Emily going through the Underground with Frisk to really help with the plot in the long run. There's a lot about her that I haven't revealed to you all and I feel like having her undergo this journey will really help when it comes time to tell you what it is that's going on with Emily.
> 
> So, I'd really appreciate it if you guys would give me some critique. Constructive critique, please. If you don't like how the story is going, please say so politely or stop reading it altogether. I've had some really good friends completely give up on writing fanfiction because some rude people, Anonymous or otherwise, basically told them that they would never be able to produce quality works of fictional literature.
> 
> Thanks for reading this if you bothered to.


	9. Baby, It's Cold Outside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can't leave Snowdin because of the blizzard, so you're stuck there for God knows how long.
> 
> You have a really messed up dream and learn what Char meant by 'information that would be relevant to you.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yesterday was my mom's birthday! We went out to eat where she wanted to go and I got a really juicy piece of baked chicken parmesan. It was so good.
> 
> Also, bunny family member OC mentioned and shows up, but she's not a major character. She's just there to run a shop that's not in game. Because Snowdin is a town and would obviously have more buildings than what was shown in game, but not many more. They /are/ stuck underneath a goddamn mountain after all.

It was really dark, wherever it was you were.

 

You were floating in a seemingly endless sea of black, no other living being in sight. Your hair shifted lazily above you and miraculously you could breath.

 

An attempt at calling out into the abyss yielded no satisfying results, only a multitude of bubbles escaping your mouth.

 

_"Demon child! You should be grateful that I even allow you the amount of food that you get to eat!"_

 

A voice. A woman's voice. A very angry sounding woman's voice.

 

_"I- I- I'm sorry, Aunty! I won't do it again!"_

 

Suddenly, your vision was filled with color. It was such a drastic shift from dark to light that you had to squeeze your eyes shut before slowly opening them back up.

 

_"You're God damn right you won't be doing that again!"_

 

You could clearly see the woman to whom the upset voice belonged to.

 

Her looks had probably seen better days. There were dark bags underneath her wild, bloodshot eyes. Her hair was a matted mess and looked like it hadn't been washed in at least a week. She was frothing at the mouth and you could see through the spittle that her teeth were yellow. Not the yellow that teeth turn from eating and such, but the kind of yellow that occurs when someone smokes and drinks far too often. She was incredibly scrawny, someone could probably snap her arms like a couple of twigs. Her legs too. The clothes she wore didn't quite fit her, part of her shirt hanging off of her shoulder. She wore a silver cross pendant around her skinny neck.

 

You-

 

You knew this woman.

 

Not personally, but you recognized her from old photographs that your parents used to show you. Your mother once mentioned in passing that she was one of her two sisters.

 

They didn't like showing you the ones with her in it, and now you think you knew why.

 

Crumpled up into a little ball at the woman's feet was a child. A shivering, crying child.

 

The woman -you refused to acknowledge her as your aunt- snarled at the child's cowering form and roughly grabbed them by their hair. You could now see the child's face clearly.

 

Tears were running down their pale face as the woman clutched their short brown hair in her hand. There were many bruises on their arms that you could see due to their sweater's sleeves riding up. Their legs were also covered in bruises and cuts.

 

The woman let go of the child's hair and slapped them hard across the face, knocking them back to the ground. The child lifted their head up and clutched their reddening cheek. That was going to bruise badly. But your eyes soon locked on to something else.

 

The child's eyes were the brightest red you had ever seen.

 

_"You, you damn spawn of Satan, are going back in the closet for a few days. **Without food.** Then we'll see just how greedy you are after that!"_

 

The woman picked the child up roughly by the back of their sweater and threw them into a hall closet before locking it.

 

Everything slowly faded back to black.

 

You were horrified by what you had just witnessed.

 

You couldn't believe that such a horrible human being could be related to someone as sweet as your mother was, much less her sister!

 

The child called that vile woman 'Aunty.'

 

That child was your cousin. The one that lost her both her parents in a fatal car crash.

 

The one that went missing and that your parents never told you the name of. The one that they only referred to as 'she' or 'her' in conversations pertaining to her.

 

_**The one that fell down a mountain and died later.** _

 

_What?_

 

**_That child..._ **

 

**_That was me, Emily._ **

 

**_I told you that I would tell you about how I came to fall down Mount Ebbot in greater detail later, but I guess that me being in your head like this for so long instead of wandering off like I used to caused some of my memories to bleed into your mind._ **

 

You couldn't respond.

 

You were crying too much.

 

How could someone do that to a _child_? How?

 

You had so much that you wanted to ask Chara. To tell Chara.

 

_**I won't be around for a while. I don't want to risk you seeing any of the more... Unpleasant memories.** _

 

You wanted to shout at her not to go.

 

But you were waking up.

 

* * *

You jolted up in bed with a sharp gasp, something wet trailing down your face.

 

Frisk was clutching your arm tightly with worry.

 

"Wh- Wh- Wha-a-a-a-t's-s-s-s-s wr- wr- wro-o-o-o-n-n-n-ng?"

 

You looked down at Frisk, and then looked to Charlotte. She was giving you a look filled to the brim with worry and concern.

 

"It's... It's nothing. I'm fine. Just had a bad dream, that's all."

 

You looked back to Frisk.

 

"And what did we say about not straining our voice?"

 

They blushed and looked away sheepishly. You felt Charlotte's hands on your shoulders.

 

"I assume that it was quite the frightful dream if your current appearance and the way you woke up are any indication."

 

"Yeah. But I, can't remember any of it..."

 

Charlotte squeezed your shoulders reassuringly.

 

"It's alright, Dearest. Everyone gets nightmares."

 

You nodded and got out from underneath the covers. Even though you were inside where it was warm, the floor felt a bit chilly.

 

When you wandered over to the window and pulled back the curtains, you could see that the snow around town had grown at least six feet deeper.

 

"Wow, Sable wasn't kidding when she said a blizzard was going to hit."

 

"Indeed. I actually had woken up earlier and went downstairs to see if it was at all possible to leave the inn. Fern said that the Snowdin K-9 Unit was doing their best to clear the streets and doors, but that was two hours ago, I'm not certain if the snow's been cleared yet or not. The town itself won't take maybe more than a week to fully clear, but the path leading to the next area, Waterfall, will take quite a bit longer than that, not accounting for any other snowstorms in the near future."

 

Okay. So the three of you would be stuck in Snowdin for an undisclosed amount of time. While you weren't in a hurry to get to the very end of the Underground, this was a major setback to the small amount of progress that you had made.

 

"Also, you probably didn't notice it when we arrived last night, but there is a door that connects the shop and the inn. So if we were stuck here, we would at the very least be able to get supplies if we needed it. Thankfully though, Fern has a stockpile of food and beverages for just such an occasion as this one. So no need to fret there. What I'm concerned with is Papyrus. Naïve or not, he still has the desire to capture you and Frisk. The two of you will be stuck here in town with two people that know that you are... Humans. And one of them wishes to capture you. Also, due to his loud and rather flamboyant nature, it would seem to me as though he wouldn't be able to keep a secret for very long, even of it was of the utmost importance that he should. Now, I could be wrong about this, but it would be wise of the two of you to use caution if you encounter him."

 

"Agreed. But I honestly think that all that Papyrus really wants is a friend. Think about it. He whispered -poorly- that he was 'in training' to be a member of the Royal Guard.  I'm guessing that everyone that's a member is highly respected and admired. If he were to join, people might respect and admire him and want to approach him with the idea of being friends with him. And you heard him say it himself, however uncertainly, if he were to join people would want to be his friend."

 

Charlotte pondered your words for a few moments.

 

"You may be right. If you try to become friends with him, please, both of you, exercise wariness. I don't want anything to happen to either of you. I think of the two of you as family."

 

"Awww, Charlotte!"

 

You pulled her into a hug that Frisk was quick to hop out of bed and join.

 

_'I think of you like family, too! Like a nice aunt!'_

 

Frisk had attempted to use their voice all they were today. They were starting to think that maybe they should try smaller words or letters instead of full sentences. They wanted this time to be different. They wanted to be able to speak and not have to rely on sign language all the time. When they freed the monsters again, they weren't going to need a translator for the meetings that they would hold as Ambassador. And if they did need one, they would just have you do it.

 

Frisk wasn't going to let the government try and push them around this time.

 

Charlotte chuckled warmly.

 

"Very well, if you wish to call me 'Aunt Charlotte,' then let it be so. Of course, I won't mind if you slip up from time to time and just call me 'Charlotte.'"

 

God this was so cute. You were already 'Big Sis' to Frisk and you were worried that Charlotte would feel left out. But now you weren't.

 

"Oh, hey. Speaking of relatives, I should call Toriel. She'll want to know about this."

 

You were going to do your best to keep your promise to call your mom everyday.

 

_"Hello?"_

 

"Hi, Mom!"

 

_"Emily! Oh it's so good to hear your voice, my child! How are you faring? Same as yesterday?"_

 

"Yeah, everyone's doing fine. Well, Frisk tried talking and hurt their throat a bit, but other than that we're all good!"

 

_"Goodness! Please keep them from speaking if it injures them in such a way!"_

 

"You know Frisk, Mom. But I think they've learned their lesson about trying to use their voice after of long of not using it. If they want to try and talk again, I won't stop them. But I will make sure that they don't try and say more than they can handle. We'll start out small. Maybe with just saying letters."

 

_"Well, please see to it that they don't damage their voice."_

 

"I will. Oh! I almost forgot! A huge blizzard hit Snowdin yesterday after we got here, so we won't be able to leave town for a while. We're not exactly sure how long 'a while' will be..."

 

You heard Toriel take in air.

 

_That is... Not good, my child. Many members of the Royal Guard are stationed there."_

 

"Oh, we know. We ran into all of them on the way."

 

_"You WHAT?!?!"_

 

Okay, ow. Your ears.

 

"Mom, Mom, Mom! It's fine! They were all total sweethearts that just wanted to bet petted! I'm pretty sure the couple- What are their names? Dogamy and Dogaressa think me and Frisk are puppies from where we rolled around on the ground while fighting them!"

 

You heard Toriel breath a sigh of relief.

 

_"Well. That does calm my nerves a bit. Oh dear. The batteries on the phone are nearly dead. Oh I do wish we could chat for a while longer! Stay safe my child, and keep your sibling out of harm's way as well."_

 

"Will do, Mom."

 

Toriel attempted to say something, but the line went dead and all you heard was dial tone.

 

There was a knock at the door and Charlotte opened it.

 

"Hello you three! Just checking up on all the guests to see how they're doing!"

 

You smiled at the rabbit woman's cheerful demeanor.

 

"We're doing just fine. Actually, I was wondering if the snow blocking the door had been cleared yet?"

 

Fern's ears perk up.

 

"Oh yes! The guards just finished up a few minutes ago! Unfortunately, only the main path leading out of town has been cleared and even then, the actual way out is still blocked by several feet of snow! I believe that area got hit the hardest. So no one can enter or leave town for who knows how long. And what's worse is that the children can't get to school because the path is still blocked!"

 

Fern sighed, obviously frustrated.

 

"Of course, the children are just overjoyed about that. They're all probably out playing, Earnest actually left a short while ago."

 

You turned to Frisk.

 

"Hey, Frisky Business. After we bathe and eat, do you want to go play with the other kids outside?"

 

Frisk's face split into a beaming grin. Their eyes that were usually squinted shut were opened fully in shocked joy.

 

Their eyes were a lovely shade of brown. They reminded you of milk chocolate.

 

_'Really?! I can go out?!'_

 

"Well of course! You're not sick or anything, so as long as you bundle up you can go out and have fun with the other children. I'm sure you'll make a lot of new friends! But Charlotte and I may need to come with you so the kids can understand you."

 

Frisk clapped their hands gleefully and rushed into the bathroom after grabbing their clothing from yesterday.

 

That was going to be a problem. Charlotte, while an expert in the art of clothes making, had limited materials to use while in the Ruins and had used the last of them up when she had crafted the outfits for you and Frisk.

 

Charlotte shut the door and turned to you.

 

"Something the matter?"

 

"I was just wondering if there was a fabric store in town, or a place that sold clothes. Frisk and I can't keep wearing the same outfit day after day. One, they'll wear out fast. Two, I don't know where we could get them washed. Three, that's gross."

 

Charlotte's eyes lit up.

 

"I could ask around or see if anyone has any old clothing that they wouldn't terribly mind parting with! Ooooooh! I would absolutely adore it if there indeed was a fabric store around here somewhere!"

 

"Alright! But, don't you need to take a bath first?"

 

"Hm? Oh, don't worry, Dear, I will. But I'll do it downstairs. I may be able to withstand copious amounts of water, but that doesn't mean that standing under a steady stream of it would be pleasant. No, Fern has a special bathroom specifically designed for fire monsters such as myself. Instead of water, lava flows from the taps."

 

That made sense, you supposed. Just because Charlotte had an increased resistance to water didn't mean that she should be immersed by it.

 

"Okay then! You go get cleaned up and be on the hunt for clothes, and I will help Frisk with talking to the other kids!"

 

"Sounds like a marvelous idea."

 

Charlotte grabbed her clothes and set off downstairs. Frisk came out of the bathroom squeaky clean and with damp hair. 

 

"After I'm out, we'll dry our hair and go get breakfast, okay?"

 

Frisk nodded and sat down on the bed.

 

You didn't take long in getting yourself clean, you never did. So after taking care of everything that was necessary, you put on your clothes and opened the door to let Frisk in and dried their hair and yours.

 

It was a good thing that you were in a cold environment. You wouldn't sweat a lot when you got outside. You didn't have any deodorant on you, but you did happen to see quite a few brands in Sable's shop yesterday so you weren't too worried.

 

When you and Frisk got downstairs, Fern was _hopping_ -God damn it, Emily- all over the place trying to get certain things to everyone's rooms. The two of you waved goodbye to the busy woman, not wanting to disturb her work.

 

You saw the door that Charlotte mentioned earlier and stepped through.

 

Sable's ears twitched when she heard the side door open.

 

"Oh well hello again, you three! No, wait. You seem to be missing someone."

 

"Yeah. Charlotte's out looking for a place that sells fabric or clothes right now. The only clothes we have are the ones we're wearing and some pajamas, plus she loves to sew! A fabric store would definitely make her happy."

 

Sable smiled sweetly.

 

"Well you three are in luck! Just so happens that my other sister has the same passions as your fashionable friend! Lacey's her name. She's a little ways to the east, right next to Snowdin's best restaurant! Snowdin's _only_ restaurant now that I think about it. The joint's called 'Grillby's.' Named after the fire monster that runs it! He doesn't speak much. Actually, I've never heard him speak at all! But I'm hardly ever in there, so he might and I just don't know it. Word on the street's that he can't speak English. Can understand it, just can't speak it. But that's just a rumor. Anyways, what'd the two of you come in for?"

 

"Well, I noticed yesterday that you happened to sell some food items among... _Other_ things... So I was wondering if you had anything that you would recommend for breakfast?"

 

She gave you a buck-toothed grin. Actually, all her grins were buck-toothed.

 

"Sure do!"

 

Sable pulled out a little basket with a gingham cloth in it and what appeared to be cinnamon rolls in it. They looked... _Off_ though.

 

"Cinnamon bunnies, or 'CinnaBuns' as the kids like to call 'em. My own recipe!"

 

She hands you and Frisk one each.

 

"Thanks! How much do we owe you?"

 

Sable waved you off.

 

"On the house! Think of it as a 'Welcome to Snowdin, sorry your first visit had a blizzard and caused ya to get stuck here!' gift."

 

The CinnaBuns were large in size and would no doubt fill both you and Frisk up.

 

You finished yours rather quickly and decided to gaze around the shop. Sable sidled up to you and whispered.

 

"So what did you mean by 'other things' when you were talking about what I sell?"

 

You discreetly pointed to the deodorant and Sable chuckled lowly.

 

"Didn't think you'd need to pack any, huh Hun? Thought it was just gonna be a one day trip, yeah?"

 

You nodded. Oh if only she knew...

 

You picked a tube and slid it into your bag and pulled out five gold pieces from the side pocket you kept them in.

 

"Pleasure doing business with you, Hun. And don't worry, it ain't nothing to be ashamed of."

 

When Frisk got finished, the two of you bade Sable farewell and stepped outside into the cold.

 

And it was _really_ cold.

 

Frisk huddled up close to you in an attempt to keep the wind out of their face.

 

Boy you were glad Charlotte infused fire magic into these clothes.

 

You headed east to where Sable said the fabric shop would be and sure enough, there it was. You could see Charlotte through the glass window and waved at her when she turned around from gushing over a roll of fabric. A well-dressed, pink bunny woman was behind the counter and looked out at you and Frisk. She waved shyly at the two of you and you waved back at her and smiled.

 

Charlotte mouthed that she would 'be right out' and motioned for you to go on ahead. You didn't walk far before you happened upon the restaurant that Sable had mentioned. Like the fabric store, the building had a large glass window in front and you could see in.

 

The Snowdin K-9 Unit was in there. Dogamy and Dogaressa were nuzzling noses, Doggo kept shifting about -probably in an attempt to make his surroundings move- G.D. had his armor on and - _holy Hell what was your life now an anime?_ \- Ahem. L.D. was playing poker with herself... And was somehow losing. There were a few other monsters that you didn't recognize in the establishment one such was the bartender.

 

Sure enough, he was a fire monster. 'Grillby' you recalled. He had a sleek pair of glasses on that you weren't entirely sure how they weren't melting off his face. Magic, probably. He wasn't by any means scrawny, in fact, you were pretty sure you saw the telltale bulge of muscle underneath his sleeves. He was busy polishing a set of drinking glasses. You think he felt you watching him because he looked up, but as he did you looked from where you came because Charlotte had called out to you.

 

She hugged you and gushed on about how many wonderful cloths and patterns she'd found.

 

No one noticed that Grillby had nearly dropped the glass he'd been cleaning.

 

"I'll of course stop by on the way back and pick up the ones that I think would look good on you two."

 

"What about for you?"

 

"Oh. Well, I was thinking that I could use a wardrobe change. Maybe a top like the one Toriel had, but red and with slits cut up the sides. I'd keep the white sleeves. Perhaps make some white pants that have puffed cuffs. I'll keep my red flats, they'd look good with that."

 

You smiled. Charlotte would probably make the exact outfit she was describing.

 

The three of you reached the center of town and you got a close-up view of the pine tree you'd seen in the distance yesterday. It was even more magnificent up close like this.

 

The children of Snowdin were all engaged in a snowball fight. You noticed that Earnest was hiding behind a little snow wall with MK and a handful of other kids. He glanced over and smiled.

 

"Frisk! Come on over and play!"

 

Frisk looked up at you and you motioned for them to go ahead. They grinned and rushed behind the wall.

 

You and Charlotte sat down on a nearby bench and watched the kiddy chaos unfold.

 

It was brutal by kid standards. Petty insults were hurled along with the compacted snow. Tears were shed, mommies were cried out for. In the end, Frisk was the only one left standing due to their amazing dodging skills, thus claiming victory for Team One. Team Two grumbled quietly but eventually shook all of the appendages -MK didn't have hands- of the members of Team One.

 

Frisk, Earnest, and MK started making snow angels. Well, MK's was more like a snow circle. All the other kids joined in and everyone had the best time.

 

Soon, parents were calling their offspring in for lunch and they rushed off saying goodbye to each other. Had it really been a few hours? You had needed to translate for Frisk a few times when they were asked a question and the children thought that it was so cool that you, Frisk and Charlotte could all talk with your hands and that they wanted to learn how to do it too. You explained that unless they could pick up on it quickly like Charlotte had, it would take quite a bit of time before they could sign to one another.

 

The children's response to that was that you should become a teacher at their school and teach sign language to them.

 

You didn't see how Frisk's face got a thoughtful look on it or whatever it was that they signed to Charlotte.

 

The three of you explored the town a bit more there was a library -though the sign said 'Librarby'- some more houses to the north of the pine tree and a machine that dispensed ice with a wolf monster throwing it into the river. Where the ice was going, you hadn't a clue.

 

You went back and walked as far to the east as you could. You passed a house that was decked out in Christmas lights. There were two mailboxes, one overflowing with mail, the other as empty as could be. There was a shed to the right of the house and to the right of that, an igloo. Just like the one near the inn. Apparently, according to the locals, it was a passage between the two igloos. You went further and were stopped almost immediately by a large pile of snow.

 

Yeah...

 

You were definitely not going to be pressing onwards anytime soon.

 

You passed by the house with all the lights again when you heard a door slam open.

 

"EMILY! FRISK! CHARLOTTE!"

 

Papyrus?

 

Yep. It was Papyrus.

 

"Hey Papyrus!"

 

He bounded towards you three, leaving the door wide open.

 

"GREETINGS! I SEE THAT THE YOU AND FRISK HAVE COME TO MY AND MY BROTHER'S HOUSE! NO DOUBT TO BE CAPTURED BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS! UNFORTUNATELY, THE PATH LEADING OUT OF SNOWDIN IS BLOCKED. SO CAPTURING AND DELIVERING YOU TO THE CAPITAL WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE SNOW CLEARS! WHICH, GIVEN THE PREVIOUS HISTORY OF THE EXIT BEING BLOCKED, COULD TAKE A FEW WEEKS IF NOT MONTHS. THERE IS A LOT OF SNOW BLOCKING THE WAY AFTER ALL..."

 

Months? Did he really just say months?

 

Damn it.

 

"DO NOT FRET, DEAR EMILY! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE EVER DUTIFUL TO REMEMBER TO CAPTURE YOU AND YOUNG FRISK WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT! IN THE MEAN TIME, I WILL DO MY VERY BEST -WHICH IS VERY GREAT, MIND YOU- TO ENSURE THAT YOU DO NOT GET BORED WHILE YOU ARE STUCK HERE IN SNOWDIN! SO... WHAT I'M SAYING IS... WELL. WOULD YOU... LIKE TO COME INSIDE?"

 

You looked at Frisk, who nodded yes, and Charlotte, who simply shrugged. You turned back to Papyrus.

 

"Sure thing, Papyrus. We'd love to come inside!"

 

"WONDERFUL!"

 

The energetic skeleton man herded the three of you inside and shut the door.

 

All of you were unaware of the small, yellow flower watching you with great interest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah. Emily and Chara are related.
> 
> WHERE ARE YOU GOING CHARA?!?!
> 
> Only I know.
> 
> But I'm sure everyone of you all has a pretty good idea. I mean...
> 
> Who else could they /possibly/ bother?
> 
> But did Grillby drop the glass because he saw a couple of humans or because his breath was taken away by Charlotte's beauty?
> 
> Whichever one floats ya'lls boat.
> 
> Also, I have no idea how blizzards work, because I am from the south. So if the snow level didn't rise as much as an actual blizzard would make it, let's just say it's because of bullshit science. AKA, magic. Because it's a magical fucking mountain, goddamnit.


	10. Time Is Fleeting and So Is Papyrus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You make the most of your time spent in Snowdin.
> 
> Also, some fire monster culture is revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I was reading the comments and I noticed that some of you were confused about the passage of time.
> 
> I don't think I ever actually set an age for Chara for when she fell into the Underground, so let's say that she was eight. She met Asriel, Toriel and Asgore almost immediately after falling down and they welcomed her with open arms despite her being human. Asriel had never seen a human before and only saw her as a new friend to play with. Toriel saw a mistreated child and her motherly instincts took over. Asgore saw a chance to mend the relationship between monsters and humans through this child if they were to ever escape the mountain. All of them came to love her in time.
> 
> Chara didn't spend just a few months with her new family. She spent a few years. Let's say, about three. Emily had been born shortly after Chara had fallen, making her three at the time and Chara eight years older than her. Around this time is also when Chara came up with the idea to poison herself and let Asriel cross the barrier.
> 
> As we all know, that plan failed horribly. Asgore declared war on all humanity for the deaths of his children, Toriel became disgusted with him and left. 
> 
> I mentioned in the previously that over the course of twenty years is when the next six children -not including Frisk because they free everyone- fall into the Underground. The soul of Patience fell perhaps nearly a year after Chara and Asriel died. Their belongings were obviously left behind in the Ruins as we've all seen the faded ribbon and toy knife. The time between each child's fall was spaced out enough that Toriel had enough time to grieve them and move on, hoping that another child would never fall down.
> 
> Papyrus and Sans did live in the Capital before moving to Snowdin for reasons that no one knows. (But let's be honest, you guys probably already guessed it.) Paps hadn't even been born until shortly /after/ Chara and Asriel had passed away, which explains why he didn't know that there was a queen of all monsters. He'd never seen a human because he and Sans lived in the Capital, which none of the humans ever visited. He and Sans eventually moved to Snowdin when he was fourteen. By that time, all six children had fallen and had died, and for the next seven years, all talk of humans would be quiet.
> 
> This is why Toriel's grudge against Asgore is still so strong. It also explains why she doesn't seem to be upset by the deaths of the children anymore. Because she's had time to grieve and move on with her life.
> 
> I'll explain the Gaster and Alphys (and also Flowey) thing later, I'm pretty sure that you all would like to continue reading the story now, right?

You breathed out a contented sigh as you stepped into the warm house. It smelled vaguely of cookies and something else that was a bit burnt.

 

"WELCOME TO MY HUMBLE ABODE! AS YOU CAN SEE, I HAVE EVRYTHING THAT YOU WILL NEED FOR WHEN I CAPTURE THE TWO OF YOU! THERE NEED NOT BE ANY WORRY ABOUT YOU NOT BEING TAKEN CARE OF! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE THE MOST COURTEOUS CAPTOR YOU'VE EVER HAD!"

 

"You'll probably be the only captor we've ever had."

 

"THAT AUTOMATICALLY MAKES ME THE MOST COURTEOUS!"

 

You chuckled underneath your breath and took in the sights around you. The interior of the home was surprisingly normal. The only thing that seemed out of place was the painting of a bone on the second floor and the sock laying next to the television.

 

You pointed to said footwear.

 

"Uh, so what's up with the sock?"

 

"NYEH?! OH OF _COURSE_ IT'S STILL THERE!!! I DON'T KNOW WHY I EXPECTED ANYTHING DIFFERENT FROM THAT LAZYBONES BROTHER OF MINE! YOU SEE THOSE STICKY NOTES ABOVE THE SOCK? THOSE ARE FROM THE COURSE OF OVER A FEW MONTHS AGO! HONESTLY, LEAVING ONE'S DIRTY LAUNDRY ABOUT IN SUCH A MANNER IS SIMPLY REVOLTING!!!"

 

"If it truly bothers you in such a vehement way, why don't you simply pick it up yourself?" Charlotte inquired.

 

Papyrus looked slightly appalled by the suggestion.

 

"IT'S THE PRINCIPLE OF THE MATTER! IF I WERE TO PICK SANS' SOCK UP FOR HIM INSTEAD OF HIM DOING IT HIMSELF, HE'D NO DOUBT BECOME EVEN LAZIER THAN HE ALREADY IS! HE PROBABLY WOULD BEGIN TO NOT CLEAN UP HIS ROOM! NOT THAT HE ATTEMPTS TO CLEAN IT NOW..."

 

So today, you learned that Sans was a slob and that Papyrus was a neat freak.

 

The television was on, you just noticed. Displayed on screen was a...

 

A metal box on a wheel?

 

Papyrus noticed your staring and his mouth formed into a joyful smile.

 

"OH! YOU'VE PROBABLY NEVER SEEN THIS SHOW, BEING HUMANS AND FROM THE SURFACE AND ALL!"

 

He pointed right at the box on a wheel.

 

"THAT'S METTATON! HE'S THE UNDERGROUND'S NUMBER ONE AND ONLY STAR! WE DON'T HAVE MANY CHANNELS DOWN HERE TO WATCH, ONLY TEN. FORTUNATELY, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM HAS ONE OF METTATON'S SHOWS OR MOVIES PLAYING TWENTY-FOUR SEVEN! LATELY, IT'S BEEN A BUNCH OF RERUNS, BUT THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE METTATON HAS BEEN SO BUSY WORKING IIN A NEW SHOW THAT HE HASN'T HAD THE TIME TO FILM EPISODES FOR THE OTHERS! HE SAID SO IN A FULL HOUR SPEACIAL JUST LAST WEEK! HE SAID SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF IT BEING SOME SORT OF GAMESHOW."

 

You looked back at the box- Er. Mettaton. His acting wasn't all that bad from what little you've just seen, but it seemed as though he was a bit of a diva and enjoyed prolonging the drama as much as he could. If he was the only celebrity in the entire Underground and was therefore the only thing to watch...

 

You think you might slowly lose your sanity.

 

"Uh. Yeah, no. You're right. Frisk and I have never seen any of Mettaton's work before."

 

Papyrus gasped.

 

"THEN I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'LL DO!"

 

And that was how the three of you got roped into binge watching seasons one through four of _Fabulousity At It's Finest._ In the show, Mettaton played each and every character from the bad boy teenage heartthrob to the beloved family pet.

 

Again, he was a decent actor, but this was just atrocious to watch. If he wanted to get better ratings as each commercial -promoting MTT brand merchandise, because what else would they be for- stated, then he should really allow other people onto this show.

 

A chill ran down your spin as you got an unexplained sense of foreboding.

 

After seven straight hours of this crap, Charlotte finally spoke up.

 

"Papyrus? Where _is_ your brother anyhow?"

 

Papyrus was jolted out of the trance that he seemed to have been placed in.

 

"SANS? HE PROBABLY IS MOST DEFINITELY _NOT_ AT WORK, AS USUAL. HE MOST LIKELY IS AT THAT GREASE TRAP THAT DARES CALL ITSELF AN EATERY."

 

"You mean Grillby's?" You asked.

 

Papyrus put a hand to his face and dragged it down slowly as he sighed tiredly.

 

"YES."

 

_'What do you have against Grillby's?'_

 

He gazed at Frisk for a moment before responding.

 

"IT'S NOT THAT I HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST IT! GRILLBY IS A FINE FELLOW AND AS A FELLOW CHEF, I CAN SAY THAT HIS DISHES ARE MADE WELL. IT'S JUST THAT ALL HE SERVES ARE FRIES AND BURGERS! I MEAN, THE _LEAST_ HE CAN DO TO IMPROVE THE STANDARDS OF HIS ESTABLISHMENT IS ADD MORE ITEMS TO THE MENU! AT THE MOST, ADDING SPAGHETTI WOULD NO DOUBT RAISE THE STANDARDS FAR BEYOND THAT WHICH ANYONE THOUGHT POSSIBLE!"

 

You wondered just what was up with Papyrus' obsession with spaghetti.

 

But you two weren't even close to becoming friends yet, so you didn't bother to ask.

 

Charlotte commented that it was beginning to get late and that the three of you needed to head back to the inn. Papyrus waved goodbye enthusiastically and told you to stop by again and often so that he could continue to show that he would be the best captor ever.

 

This is how your first two weeks in Snowdin were spent. Hanging out with Papyrus and watching Mettaton with him. You kept Toriel updated on your status everyday. While she was still worried, it wasn't as bad as it had been when you had first told her.

 

Over the course of two weeks, you would see Sans either entering or leaving the house while you three were visiting. He'd say a quick hello or goodbye before either heading out, up to his room, or to what Papyrus stated was the guest room. He'd spend a good portion of your visit in his room or in the guest room when he came home and would come out them looking a bit haggard.

 

Papyrus stated that he had no clue as to what it was that his brother was doing in either room as he was feeding Sans' pet rock sprinkles.

 

Snowdin Town had finally been cleared of all the excess snow, but the path that led out of town was still blocked. The dogs were making slow progress seeing as how it snowed quite often and that when they were finished for the day, they would come back the next day to find that their progress from the previous day had been set back by half.

 

Today, Charlotte had opted out of watching Mettaton to focus on making more clothing for you and Frisk. She had gotten more fabric after the first 'MTT Marathon Day' and had crafted you a blue dress lines with fleece and infused with fire magic. The dresses sleeves were long and had puffy, white cuffs. She also made blue mittens and white pants much like the ones she described for the outfit she wanted to make for herself, which she did. Frisk just asked her to make them copies of their sweater and she poutily complied. Charlotte really wanted to make them some new outfits that didn't resemble their old one, but to each their own.

 

Frisk, meanwhile, had stated that they wanted to show you something, so the two of you opted out of watching more Mettaton today as well. Papyrus was very understanding.

 

"Where are you taking me?"

 

Frisk turned to you and smiled.

 

"You see."

 

They hadn't tried to say complete sentences in the pat few weeks, small words and letters were all their throat could take right now.

 

Frisk had dragged you south of the pine tree and was trying to hurry as much as their little legs would let them. They finally stopped in front of a large building.

 

"Hello!"

 

You looked to your left to see a large, teal dinosaur monster lady approaching you. She had on a purple suit with matching round earrings. Which didn't make sense because she didn't have ears, but this was the Underground and weird was the norm.

 

She stopped in front of you a held out a clawed hand.

 

"So nice to meet you! I'm Ophelia, the principal of this school!"

 

Oh so that was what the building was.

 

"I've heard a lot about you from my darling daughter Monster Kid! Oops, excuse me I meant MK!"

 

This was MK's mom? And MK was a girl? Oh well look at you learning something new today.

 

You took her hand in yours and smiled.

 

"I'm Emily, pleased to meet you! Though, I'm not quite sure as to why I'm here..."

 

You gave Frisk a pointed look to which they just grinned cheekily.

 

Ophelia chuckled.

 

"Well. Many of the children were interested in learning how to 'speak with their hands' as they say. I figured, seeing as how you're stuck in Snowdin for the time being, that you could teach the children how to do so. I know you're probably bored after being stuck here for two weeks now. There's honestly not a lot to do in Snowdin."

 

You pondered this for a moment. True, you had nothing better to do, besides try and befriend Papyrus of course.

 

"Sure, why not? It'll give me something to do. I'm telling you now though. Sign language isn't easy to learn. You have to pick it up quickly if you want to learn quickly. And when the exit's finally cleared, I'm going to have to leave along with Frisk and Charlotte, that's the fire lady in case you were wondering and if the kids had mentioned her."

 

Ophelia's look of confusion vanished.

 

"Ah yes! I've heard a bit about her. And as for you leaving, I understand. You probably have family waiting for you up ahead of Snowdin. I hope you have a happy time teaching here!"

 

* * *

And you did. You'd been in Snowdin for a month a two weeks now, the path out was three fourths of the way cleared and it wouldn't be long before you could leave.

 

The children were all eager to learn sign language when you began teaching it to them and, like Charlotte and Toriel, they were fast learners and picked it up in a quick hurry. Soon all the kids were signing away to Frisk and Frisk to them.

 

Speaking of Frisk -and speaking of speaking- they had slowly began building their vocal chords' strength back up. You weren't sure exactly how they were able to recover from not using their voice for so long and when you asked them about it they simply stated that it was through 'the power of Determination.' Whatever that meant.

 

Papyrus kept insisting that he would capture you and Frisk, but it seemed as though with each passing day that every time he stated it he grew more and more hesitant.

 

Charlotte, meanwhile, had taken up a temporary job working in Lacey's fabric store, designing clothes that the men and women of Snowdin were quick to snatch up as they had never known that clothing could look anything other than plain.

 

With you working at the school for a little bit and Charlotte working with Lacey, the two of you pooled together an impressive amount of gold in a short amount of time. This would definitely help you purchase any items you might need for when you continued your journey into the unknown.

 

Speaking of unknown, not once in all your time spent in Snowdin had you visited Grillby's. It wasn't that you didn't want to! But between your job and Papyrus' insistence that you watch Mettaton with him, you were simply too tired to do much of anything else.

 

Apparently that would change today.

 

"What?"

 

"I s-said, 'do ya maybe, I dunno, wanna go grab a burger with me or something?'"

 

Sans appeared calm and collected on the outside, but he could feel himself slowly dying from embarrassment on the inside.

 

The two of you had hung out a few times when your schedules allowed it, and you found out that Sans was fun guy to be around, and not just because he told jokes all the time. He hid it well, but Sans was actually extremely smart. He would always point out the inaccuracies in _Science With Mettaton_ whenever it came on before he realized what he was doing and clamed up for the rest of the episode.

 

It was really cute whenever he'd get really into explaining how whatever it was that Mettaton was doing _actually_ worked. He got this look in his eyes that screamed that he knew what he was talking about and that he was genuinely offended that Mettaton was besmirching the name of science.

 

...

 

Wait, did you say cute?

 

You meant funny. YOU MEANT FUNNY!!!

 

Ignoring that thought about your _good friend_ Sans, you locked your gaze upon the skeleton in question.

 

"No, I heard you. I mean, why?"

 

Sans' cheeks were flushed terribly. You seriously couldn't be this dense.

 

"I mean, we're friends right?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"And friends hangout together."

 

"Uh-huh."

 

"S-so, I was just thinking that you and me could go get something ta eat together. As friends! I know you still haven't been to Grillby's yet, so..."

 

"Can Charlotte and Frisk come, too? They haven't been to Grillby's yet and they're your friends too."

 

Charlotte had forgiven Sans for trying to expose you and Frisk to his brother a long while ago. That didn't mean that he wasn't still kind of terrified of her. He remembered how pissed off she was getting at Nadia and did _not_ want to be on the receiving end of her wrath. So he nodded yes.

 

"Sure thing then!"

 

You could've sworn you saw Sans' smile get just a little bit bigger.

 

"G-Great! So, I'll, uh, see you all later!"

 

Sans had fireworks going off inside of his head. While it may not be an actual date like he wanted, it was a start. Plus, Charlotte and Grillby meeting again was way overdue to happen. Like, several weeks overdue. Kind of like when you forget about a library book you've checked out and find it again later on and freak out because now you owe a hefty fine.

 

It was time for them to meet is the point.

 

* * *

Charlotte was giving you this... _Look._

 

"Sans."

 

"Yes."

 

"Invited the three of us to go to Grillby's with him."

 

"Well, he asked me to go and I wanted to know if you to could come and he said yes."

 

She was giving you a really weird look.

 

Charlotte honestly couldn't believe that you were this dense when it came to matters of the heart like this. She'd noticed for quite some time that Sans would get nervous and flustered around you whenever the two of you interacted. She had come to know him somewhat and quite honestly didn't mind the little crush that Sans had developed for her dear friend.

 

In fact, she wanted to encourage it.

 

But she couldn't. Charlotte was a firm believer that one should wait until they found their soulmate before they began dating, not that she had anything against those that did do so.

 

You were a human and Sans was a monster. There were absolutely no records whatsoever of a monster and a human being soulmates. Now, that didn't mean that there weren't any, but it also didn't mean that there were.

 

You were a loving person when it came to those you cared about. Charlotte didn't want you to become attached to Sans and have your heart stamped upon if and when he found his soulmate. There was a chance he wouldn't do that, but it was very rare that a monster didn't want to be with their soulmate.

 

"Charlotte? You oaky?"

 

"What? Oh, yes, I'm quite fine. Just got a bit distracted with thoughts about a few new designs I was attempting to create."

 

Frisk was attempting to pull you out the door the whole time, so you all left soon after.

 

Sans was waiting for you all outside of Grillby's when you arrived.

 

"Aren't you cold?"

 

He turned his head at the sound of your voice.

 

"Nah. The cold just _goes right through me._ "

 

You snickered as Sans opened the door.

 

A few of the patron's heads went up at the sound of the door opening, but they quickly lost interest and went back to their conversations and food.

 

Sans led you three to an empty booth close to the bar and Grillby soon appeared with menus.

 

"Heya, Grillby. I want you to meet some good friends of mine. This is Emily, Frisk and Charlotte."

 

"Hi, it's nice to meet you."

 

"Hello."

 

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Grillby."

 

Grillby nodded his head stiffly, handed you your menus, and returned back behind the bar.

 

"Not really sure why Grillby has menus. He only serves burgers and fries with an assortment of drinks. But they're good burgers and fries. Oh, and there's no water on the menu. Grillby doesn't touch the stuff."

 

The aforementioned bartender, meanwhile, was watching your table discreetly. He may have been old, but he hadn't gone senile.

 

You and the child were humans.

 

Now, not all humans were bad, he hadn't forgotten the ones that had fought for the monsters to be able to live on the surface, but one could never be too careful. He may be the former Captain of the Royal Guard, but he'd be damned if he let either one of you get away with harming a single monster.

 

When Sans had first started talking to him about you, he thought that the young man had found a nice monster girl that he was sweet on. And Grillby's immediate thought was 'About damn time.' It was no secret that several of the single women of Snowdin found Sans attractive, but the skeleton had never shown any interest in them. So for him to start gushing on about a lady was quite the shock. Whenever he'd come in the past few weeks, he had this dopey smile on his face, the telltale sign that he'd been spending time with the 'Emily' girl he'd been hanging around.

 

Grillby had never seen Sans look so happy, not even when his little brother had accomplished something, no matter how small, and got excited about it.

 

Sans had mentioned Frisk a few times, mostly whenever they happened to do something that made you smile or giggle.

 

But Sans had never mentioned _Charlotte._

 

White fire monsters were a rarity to see away from their homes, even among his kind. They were held in high regard and often were arranged to marry other fire monsters with high pedigrees to ensure that more children with great resistance to water would be born.

 

But Charlotte didn't look like any white fire monster he'd ever gotten a glimpse of.

 

For one thing, it was her eyes. Fire monsters, no matter the flame color, didn't have very visible pupils. The eyes were always just a tad bit darker than the pupils. But with her, there was an obvious difference. Another thing was that fire monsters didn't have razor sharp teeth. Or visible mouths for that matter. But Grillby could see her teeth clear as could be when she greeted them and her black painted lips stood out.

 

Finally, white fire monsters didn't have inner flames like the rest of them. They were just pure white like the snow outside.

 

It was clear that Charlotte had a fire monster parent and a non-fire monster parent. Among the fire people of prestigious breeding, this was heavily frowned upon.

 

But Grillby thought that she was absolutely _breathtaking_.

 

And how could he not? He may have been a knight once, but he was still a man that knew a beautiful woman when he saw one.

 

But he didn't have a chance.

 

Pure fire monster or not, it wouldn't matter to those back in Hotland once they got word that a white fire monster -a woman, no less- was out and about without a mate. Those with high pedigrees didn't care about soulmates at all, only preserving their kind. If two fire monsters were wed and just so happened to be soulmates, then they were the few lucky ones that caught a break.

 

Charlotte would no doubt be carried off and wed as soon as someone that didn't mind wedding a hybrid was found.

 

Grillby was snapped out of his thought about the lovely fire monster sitting not five feet away by Sans who was calling him. When did his thoughts shift from the humans to the stunning vision of loveliness just across the way?

 

You and Charlotte had ordered fries while Sans and Frisk got burgers. All four of you got sodas. They were the off brand kind. Not that it mattered, yours tasted fine.

 

You were sandwiched in between Frisk and Sans, the former of the two waggling their eyebrows suggestively and motioning to Sans. You mouthed to them 'no' until they stopped.

 

All in all, it was a good outing with friends. You had some good foods and some good bad laughs. Seriously, how does Sans come up with horrible jokes on the fly just like that?

 

The only weird part was when Sans attempted to drink out of the ketchup bottle and stopped only because you gave him a weird look.

 

"What? You wanna try?"

 

He had held the bottle out to you, not expecting you to take it, unscrew the cap, and drink from it slowly while looking him in the eye.

 

Sans hadn't thought it was possible to fall in love with you all over again, but there he was.

 

* * *

That was a few days ago.

 

The road was finally clear and the three of you could finally move on.

 

You had said goodbye to the children along with Fern, Sable, and even Lacey. Just because you didn't know the woman very well, didn't mean you couldn't say bye.

 

You were making your way out of town when it started to get really foggy. You and Frisk stuck close to Charlotte and pressed onwards. You only stopped when a voice called out to you.

 

"EMILY. FRISK. AND CHARLOTTE."

 

Papyrus.

 

"ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME COMPLEX FEELINGS. FEELINGS LIKE... THE JOY OF FINDING ANOTHER PASTA LOVER. THE ADMIRATION FOR ANOTHER'S PUZZLE-SOLVING SKILLS. THE DESIRE TO HAVE A COOL, SMART PERSON THINK YOU ARE COOL. THESE FEELINGS... THEY MUST BE WHAT THE TWO OF YOU ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW!!!"

 

You... Were so confused right now. But it was Papyrus, so that in itself was a justifiable explanation.

 

"I CAN HARDLY IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST BE LIKE TO FEEL THAT WAY. AFTER ALL, I AM VERY GREAT. I DON'T EVER WONDER WHAT HAVING LOTS OF FRIENDS IS LIKE."

 

Complete and utter lie. But you weren't about to ruin his moment.

 

"I PITY THE BOTH OF YOU... THE TWO OF YOU MUST BE SO LONELY WITH ONLY CHARLOTTE AS YOUR CONSTANT COMPANION..."

 

You glanced over to her and found her hold her head in her hand and shaking it slightly with a smile.

 

"WORRY NOT!!! YOU TWO SHALL BE LONELY NO LONGER! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE YOUR..."

 

Friend? Is the word he's looking for friend? You'd ask Chara, but true to her word, she hasn't been around as of late.

 

The fog rolled away a bit to reveal Papyrus smiling at you compassionately. It didn't last for very long. His face twisted into a frustrated grimace.

 

"... NO... NO, THIS IS ALL WRONG! I CAN'T BE YOUR FRIEND!!! YOU TWO ARE HUMANS! I MUST CAPTURE YOU!!! THEN, I CAN FULFILL MY LIFELONG DREAM!!! POWERFUL! POPULAR! PRESTIGIOUS! THAT'S PAPYRUS!!! THE NEWSET MEMBER... OF THE ROYAL GUARD! OR, AT LEAST IT WILL BE ONCE I FULFILL MY PROMISE TO CAPTURE YOU!"

 

The world faded to black as souls of royal blue and the brightest red emerged.

 

*** Papyrus blocks the way!**

 

_Oh, hello Chara. Where have you been?_

 

*** ...**

 

ACT

 

> Papyrus

 

> Flirt

 

"WHAT!? FL-FLIRTING!? SO YOU FINALLY REVEAL YOUR _ULTIMATE FEELINGS_! W-WELL! I'M A SKELETON WITH VERY HIGH STANDARDS!!!"

 

Oh God, this was such a bad idea. Frisk why do you do these things?!?!

 

"I c-can m-m-make spaghetti."

 

"OH NO!!! YOU'RE MEETING ALL MY STANDARDS!!!"

 

Those are some low standards, Paps.

 

"I GUESS THIS MEANS I HAVE TO GO ON A DATE WITH YOU...? LET'S DATE L-LATER! AFTER I CAPTURE YOU!"

 

You see a conflict of interests.

 

Some very easily dodged bone attacks were halfheartedly thrown.

 

*** Papyrus is thinking about what to wear for his date.**

 

*** Papyrus is also thinking about what to cook for his date.**

 

ACT

 

> Papyrus

 

> Check

 

*** Papyrus 8 ATK 2 DEF**

 

*** He likes to say: "Nyeh heh heh!"**

 

"NYEH HEH HEH!"

 

This fight was going surprisingly easy.

 

*** Papyrus dabs some Bone Cologne behind his ear.**

 

What.

 

Frisk attempts to continue flirting, but to no avail.

 

*** Papyrus dabs marinara sauce behind his ear.**

 

WHAT.

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"SO YOU WON'T FIGHT... THEN, LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN HANDLE MY FABLED 'BLUE ATTACK!'"

 

You hold perfectly still, you aren't hit, but the blue seems to be a shade off from what you've seen...

 

Frisk falls face first in the snow. They stand back up and their soul is now blue like yours. Speaking of your soul, it feels a little heavier, but not by much.

 

A small bone attack comes in from the right and Frisk jumps over it with a bit of difficulty, you, not so much difficulty.

 

"YOU'RE BLUE NOW. THAT'S MY ATTACK! 'GRAVITY MAGIC,' IS ITS OFFICIAL NAME! IT MAKES YOUR SOUL HEAVY AND THUS, IT MAKE YOU HEAVY! ER, WELL, EXCEPT FOR YOU EMILY... YOUR SOUL IS ALREADY BLUE SO IT DOESN'T AFFECT YOU AS MUCH... NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!!!"

 

*** You're blue now.**

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"HMMM... I WONDER WHAT I SHOULD WEAR..."

 

You and Frisk hopped over bones.

 

*** Papyrus dabs MTT-Brand Anime Powder behind his ear.**

 

...

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"WHAT!? I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT THAT DATE THING!!"

 

He so is.

 

More bones.

 

*** Papyrus dabs MTT-Brand Cute Juice behind his ear.**

 

What even-

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"YEAH! DON'T MAKE ME USE MY _SPECIAL ATTACK_!"

 

What was this, a videogame?

 

More bones.

 

*** Papyrus dabs MTT-Brand Attraction Slime behind his ear.**

 

That sounds like all kinds of nasty.

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"I CAN ALMOST TASTE MY FUTURE POPULARITY!!!"

 

More bones with a blue one thrown in.

 

*** Papyrus dabs MTT-Brand Beauty Yogurt behind his ear.**

 

Why Mettaton. Why would you make crap like this.

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"PAPYRUS, HEAD OF THE ROYAL GUARD!"

 

More bones, it was starting to get tricky.

 

*** Papyrus realizes he doesn't have ears.**

 

One would think he would have noticed before now!

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"PAPYRUS: UNPARALLELED SPAGHETTORE!"

 

More bones...

 

*** Papyrus is trying hard to play it cool.**

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"UNDYNE WILL BE REALLY PROUD OF ME!!"

 

There was that name again, you'd never actually gotten around to asking who that was...

 

More bones.

 

*** Papyrus whispers "Nyeh heh heh!"**

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"THE KING WILL TRIM A HEDGE IN THE SHAPE OF MY SMILE!!!"

 

You had serious doubts about that...

 

Even more bones...

 

*** Smells like bones.**

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"MY BROTHER WILL... WELL, HE WON'T CHANGE VERY MUCH."

 

Probably not.

 

More bones.

 

*** Papyrus is preparing a bone attack.**

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"I'LL HAVE LOTS OF ADMIRERS!! BUT..."

 

'But...' what?

 

More bones.

 

*** Papyrus is rattling his bones.**

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"WILL ANYONE LIKE ME AS SINCERELY AS THE TWO OF YOU? AND CHARLOTTE?"

 

You sure hoped they would.

 

Le sigh. More bones.

 

*** Papyrus is preparing a bone attack.**

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"SOMEONE LIKE YOU THREE IS REALLY RARE..."

 

More bones.

 

*** Smells like bones.**

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"AND DATING MIGHT BE KIND OF HARD..."

 

The blue bones were back.

 

*** Papyrus is rattling his bones.**

 

MERCY 

 

> Spare

 

"YOU KNOW... AFTER YOU AND EMILY ARE SENT AWAY."

 

More bones. Boy you were getting tired.

 

*** Papyrus is trying hard to play it cool.**

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"URGH... WHO CARES! GIVE UP!!"

 

You could tell he didn't mean that.

 

Sigh...

 

*** Papyrus is considering his options.**

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"GIVE UP OR FACE MY... _SPECIAL ATTACK_!!!"

 

...

 

*** Smells like bones.**

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"YEAH!!! VERY SOON I WILL USE MY _SPECIAL ATTACK_!"

 

...

 

*** Papyrus is rattling his bones.**

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"NOT TOO LONG AND I WILL USE THAT _SPECIAL ATTACK_!!!"

 

...

 

*** Papyrus remembered a bad joke Sans told and is frowning.**

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE... BEFORE MY _SPECIAL ATTACK_!!"

 

Bones.

 

*** Papyrus is preparing a bone attack.**

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

"BEHOLD...! MY _SPECIAL ATTACK_!"

 

Papyrus lifted his hand...

 

And nothing happened.

 

You heard a gnawing sound to your right.

 

Oh hey it's that dog again.

 

"WHAT THE HECK! THAT'S MY SPECIAL ATTACK! HEY! YOU STUPID DOG! DO YOU HEAR ME!? STOP MUNCHING ON THAT BONE!!! HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!! COME BACK HERE WITH MY SPECIAL ATTACK!!! ...  OH WELL. I'LL JUST USE A REALLY COOL REGULAR ATTACK."

 

*** Papyrus is getting ready for a regular attack.**

 

MERCY

 

> Spare

 

Papyrus sighed.

 

"HERE'S AN ABSOLUTELY NORMAL ATTACK."

 

It sure started out that way.

 

Until the words 'Cool Dude' were spelled out in bones with a little stick figure on a skateboard following them and a literal _wall of bone_ that you had no hope of dodging.

 

Frisk motioned for you to jump and as pointless as it seemed, you listened...

 

And cleared the wall no problem.

 

What the actual fuck.

 

Papyrus was breathless.

 

"WELL...!" He huffed. "IT'S CLEAR... YOU CAN'T," he huffed again, "DEFEAT ME!!! YEAH!!! I CAN SEE YOU SHAKING I YOUR BOOTS!!! THEREFORE I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, ELECT TO GRANT YOU PITY!! I WILL _SPARE_ YOU TWO!!! NOW'S YOUR CHANCE TO ACCEPT MY _MERCY_."

 

*** Papyrus is sparing you.**

 

You don't hesitate to spare him right back.

 

Papyrus fell to his knees in sadness. The fog completely cleared.

 

"NYOO HOO HOO... I CAN'T EVEN STOP SOMEONE AS WEAK AS YOU, FRISK... UNDYNE'S GOING TO BE DISAPPOINTED IN ME. I'LL NEVER JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD... AND... MY FRIEND QUANTITY WILL REMAIN STAGNANT!"

 

"We'll be your friends."

 

Papyrus jolted his head up in shock.

 

"REALLY!? YOU THREE WANT OT BE FRIENDS, WITH ME???"

 

"Of course!"

 

"Mmmhmm!"

 

"Without a doubt, Dear."

 

"WELL THEN... I GUESS... I GUESS I CAN MAKE AN ALLOWANCE FOR YOU EMILY AND FRISK! WOWIE!! WE HAVEN'T EVEN HAD OUR FIRST DATE FRISK... AND I'VE ALREADY MANAGED TO HIT THE FRIENDZONE!!! WHO KNEW THAT ALL I NEEDED TO MAKE PALS... WAS TO GIVE PEOPLE AWFUL PUZZLES AND THEN FIGHT THEM??"

 

He really just acknowledged that his puzzles were terrible.

 

"YOU TAUGHT ME A LOT, YOU TWO. I HEREBY GRANT YOU PERMISSION TO PASS TROUGH! AND I'LL GIVE YOU DIRECTIONS TO THE SURFACE. CONTINUE FORWARD UNTIL YOU REACH THE END OF THE CAVERN. THEN... WHEN YOU REACH THE CAPITAL, CROSS THE BARRIER. THAT'S THE MAGICAL SEAL TRAPPING US ALL UNDERGROUND. ANYTHING CAN ENTER THROUGH IT, BUT NOTHING CAN EXIT... ...EXCEPT SOMEONE WITH A POWERFUL SOUL. ...LIKE YOU TWO!!! THAT'S WHY THE KING WANTS TO ACQUIRE A HUMAN. HE WANTS TO OPEN THE BARRIER WITH SOUL POWER. THEN US MONSTERS CAN RETURN TO THE SURFACE! OH, I ALMOST FORGOT TO TELL YOU... TO REACH THE EXIT, YOU WILL HAVE TO PASS... THROUGH THE KING'S CASTLE. THE KING OF ALL MONSTERS... HE IS... ... WELL... HE'S A BIG FUZZY PUSHOVER!!! EVERYBODY LOVES THAT GUY. I AM CERTAIN IF YOU JUST SAY... 'EXCUSE ME, MR. DREEMURR... CAN I PLEASE GO HOME?' HE'LL GUIDE YOU RIGHT TO THEBARRIER HIMSELF! ANYWAY!!! THAT'S ENOUGH TALKING!!! I'LL BE AT HOME BEING A COOL FRIEND!!! FEEL FREE TO COME BY AND HAVE THAT DATE FRISK! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!!!"

 

And then he just sort of... Flitter kicked away.

 

Frisk immediately raced after Papyrus, eager to get that date. You were fully convinced that they had some sort of crush on him.

 

Naturally, you followed them. Papyrus let you all inside his home after walking in a big circle to get there with Frisk and they went up to his room to have their 'date.'

 

Your mind was preoccupied with what Papyrus said. He wasn't wrong about the King wanting to use soul power to break the Barrier, he just didn't have all the details. Someone was keeping Papyrus in the dark about the real reason why the King needed humans. But who?

 

 

Sans was most likely a contributor, but this 'Undyne' person Papyrus mentioned may also be a part of it...

 

Half an hour passed and Frisk came down looking dejected.

 

"What happened?"

 

_'I got dumped. And his phone number. But only to call him platonically with.'_

 

Well that sucked for them. But you had a feeling that Papyrus wasn't really sure how dates actually worked. And that his only real crush was on Mettaton. Who knows? Maybe one day Papyrus will be completely swept off of his feet by someone other than the Underground's only star.

 

You said goodbye to the skeleton in question and stepped outside, ready to finally move on.

 

You had the strangest feeling that you were being watched.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it seems like Emily didn't stay in Snowdin for very long, but I don't want just chapter after chapter of her, Frisk and Charlotte just going about their days. That seems like too much filler if you ask me. But I /do/ intend to have the trio return later on in the story and not just for Undyne's letter to Alphys.
> 
> Also, did I make fire monsters seem like total dicks to the whole soulmate concept or what?
> 
> Have I ever mentioned that I hate writing out boss fights? Because I do.


	11. You're Filled With...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, after being stuck in Snowdin for so long, you continue your way through the Underground into the next area: Waterfall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I'm going to have to continuously explain the time gap from when the war ended to when the story takes place. It has been THOUSANDS OF YEARS since the monsters were sealed Underground. They suffered heavy casualties from all of the fighting, thus the monster population at the time of being sealed away had greatly dwindled. The monsters that were born Underground after that would have absolutely no idea what a human would like that and neither would their children or their children's children and so on. Not all monsters would be Standard Monsters, but they would vastly outnumber the amount of Sub-Boss Monsters and Boss Monsters, the later two having longer lifespans than the Standard Monsters would know what a human would look like. But they would be few in number. It's also unstated just how long Standard Monsters can live. Boss Monsters can essentially live forever unless they have children. My headcannon for Sub-Boss Monsters is that they age like Standard Monsters do, but it is a severely slowed down process unless they give birth to a Boss Monster in which case they age naturally and also because of their child.
> 
> So, due to the THOUSANDS OF YEARS TIME GAP, it is safe to say that hardly any monster would have an idea of what a human would look like.
> 
> Sorry for the rant I just sometimes get frustrated when I've explained things and people still don't seem to get it. Not trying to be rude or anything, it's just exasperating sometimes.

You attempted to shake off the creepy feeling of beady little eyes trying to burn a hole into your back, to no avail. It just seemed that no matter how far you walked, the invisible gaze just seemed to follow you.

 

Frisk was looking up at you with a concerned expression etched into their sweet little face.

 

"You doing okay, Sissy?"

 

You looked down at the child that you've come to view as your adopted little sibling.

 

"I'm fine. I just... I have the creepiest feeling that something's watching me no matter where we go."

 

Frisk's mouth set into a hard line, as though they were contemplating something of the utmost importance. You found yourself wondering if they knew what or who it was that was watching. You had to remind yourself often that Frisk had been through this several times over. Not that they knew you knew. Even if she was staying away from you for fear of letting more unpleasant memories of her childhood plague your mind, you weren't about to break your promise to Chara.

 

The three of you had long since stopped the sluggish trek through snow and were now making your way through a small cavern. You noticed that the river flowed through here and saw large blocks of ice lazily floating along.

 

You were still wondering where the ice went to. And why.

 

"I have to say, I truly have missed out on just how beautiful the rest of the Underground is from being shut up in the Ruins for so long."

 

"Well, I'm glad that Frisk and I get to see it with you Charlotte."

 

"Mhmmm! It _is_ really pretty, Aunt Charlotte!"

 

Frisk was really trying to use their voice as much as they could each day without overexerting their vocal chords. When they did go past their limit, they had to rest their voice for several days and would have to revert back to using sign language. Not that using it was a bad thing, they needed to use sign language as much as their voice so that they didn't forget how.

 

Charlotte smiled at Frisk and ruffled their hair affectionately.

 

You continued forward, hoping that maybe that the rest of your journey wouldn't experience any more delays like the snowstorm.

 

"Yo! It's you guys!"

 

MK waved her tail at the three of you excitedly, her yellow bow bouncing as she did so. You stopped in front of her and bid hello.

 

"Man it's so good to see you guys! I'm sorry that I didn't say goodbye, but I just _had_ to hurry over here!"

 

"Do your parents know that you are here, MK?"

 

MK scratched her head sheepishly with her tail.

 

"H-heh... N-no, Charlotte... I... Sort of snuck out of the house 'cause I was grounded... Please don't tell my parents I'm here! I needed to be here! I really really _really_ wanted to see her!"

 

'Her?' Who was 'her?'

 

"Yo, Frisk! You totally want to see her too, right?"

 

"Yeah!"

 

"Awesome... She's the coolest, right!? I wanna be just like her when I grow up..."

 

MK got this faraway look in her eyes before she snapped out of it.

 

"Anyways! I don't want to miss her so I'm going on ahead! I'll catch you later!"

 

With that, MK tore off with boundless enthusiasm. Frisk ran off after her, prompting you and Charlotte to run after them.

 

You didn't notice or hear Sans at a nearby sentry station calling after you.

 

It seemed like you two were running after Frisk for a good ten minutes before you came across a room filled with water.

 

No Frisk in sight. But there were a lot of boulders falling down from the top of the falls.

 

"Uh oh. Charlotte, how are we going to get you across?"

 

Charlotte smirked and chuckled at you fondly.

 

"No need to worry, Dearest. It won't hurt me all that much. In fact, the only way water could truly do any damage to my person is if I were caught off guard and doused with it." 

 

To prove her point, Charlotte stepped into the pool. A bit of steam rose out of the water, but other than that nothing happened.

 

"See? I'm perfectly fine. Now, let's try and avoid being knocked into by these boulders, shall we?"

 

It took a bit of maneuvering, but the two of you eventually made it across.

 

Further up ahead was a well lit area, like when one was outside on the night of a full moon. Long, dark shadows crept from underneath the two of you, and you got a sense of foreboding.

 

Something was going to happen, you just knew it.

 

You and Charlotte walked in silence and had just entered the rather tall grass when you heard footsteps from up above. You stilled all movement.

 

"H... HI UNDYNE! I'M HERE WITH MY DAILY REPORT... WELL, I SUPPOSE IT'S SEVERAL DAILY REPORTS IN ONE, WHAT WITH THE BLIZZARD AND THE ROADS BEING BLOCKED UNTIL NOW... UHHH... REGARDING THOSE HUMANS I CALLED YOU ABOUT ALMOST TWO MONTHS AGO..."

 

You couldn't hear this 'Undyne' speak, but your sure they were since Papyrus had stopped talking.

 

"HUH? DID I FIGHT THEM? Y-YES! OF COURSE I DID! I FOUGHT THEM VALIANTLY!"

 

Another pause.

 

"...WHAT? DID I CAPTURE THEM...? W-W-WELL... NO. I TRIED VERY HARD, UNDYNE, BUT INTHE END... I FAILED."

 

A rather long pause.

 

"W-WHAT? YOUR GOING TO TAKE THE TWO HUMAN SOULS YOURSELF... BUT UNDYNE, YOU DON'T H-HAVE TO DESTROY THEM! YOU SEE... YOU SEE..."

 

Footsteps that had been advancing were suddenly back tracking to where they had been.

 

"..."

 

Papyrus was being oddly quiet.

 

"I UNDERSTAND. I'LL HELP YOU IN ANY WAY I CAN."

 

You heard Papyrus rush off.

 

He-

 

He wasn't _really_ going to help this 'Undyne' person take your and Frisk's souls, was he?

 

Oh God, Frisk.

 

You needed to find them now more than ever.

 

You made a move to press onward again, but slipped on the grass, fell, and rustled the green menace a great deal.

 

You heard what sounded like feet clad in metal approach the ledge above. Charlotte got down on the ground with you and held a hand over your mouth.

 

You heard the creak of what sounded like someone wearing a helmet made of metal moving back and forth. Searching the area for you, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

 

Your heart was pounding, your palms were clammy.

 

You were afraid.

 

After a few minutes, you heard the footsteps retreat. You waited several more before poking your head out and carefully surveying the area.

 

Nothing.

 

Slowly, you rose to your feet and assisted Charlotte in doing the same.

 

"That. Was the most terrifying experience. Of my life."

 

"Mine as well, and I wasn't even the one that would be in any danger if spotted."

 

You nodded absentmindedly, still in a daze. You noticed a save point nearby and used it immediately.

 

*** A feeling of dread hangs over you... But you stay integrious.**

 

You don't bother trying to make Chara have a conversation with you. She'll talk with you when she's ready.

 

Moving along, the next two room ahead had several bodies of water in it, but luckily you wouldn't have to wade through them thanks to the large flowers that acted as a bridge.

 

You had begun to head north to the doorway when you were pulled into a confrontation.

 

*** Aaron flexes in!**

 

Oh dear God what were you looking at.

 

It... _Appeared_ to be some sort of seahorse monster that floated and had well-toned abs.

 

No.

 

Not dealing with this _horseshit_ today.

 

Get it? Get it?

 

God damn it Emily.

 

You walked away from Aaron and your soul happily went back into your body.

 

"Where you goin' Baby?!"

 

NO.

 

You walked through the door and Charlotte eagerly followed behind you.

 

"That was a very unpleasant experience for me and I do not wish to have it repeated."

 

"Agreed, Dear."

 

_"A long time ago, monsters would whisper their wishes to the stars in the sky. If you hoped with all your heart, your wish would come true. Now, all we have are these sparkling stones on the ceiling..."_

 

You whipped your head around to find the source of the new voice, only to hear the same sentence be repeated over and over.

 

And it was being repeated by a teal flower.

 

There were more flowers in the room. And each had something to say.

 

_"Thousands of people wishing together can't be wrong! The king will prove that."_

 

_"C'mon, sis! Make a wish!"_

 

_"I wish my sister and I will see the real stars someday..."_

 

_"Ah... Seems my horoscope is the same as last week's..."_

 

You head through the small opening to the north.

 

You are greeted with a large, wooden bridge. Several plaques decorate the wall to the north.

 

"The War of Humans and Monsters."

 

You supposed that this was the tale that Toriel said was told to the children of the Underground. The abridged version.

 

"Why did the humans attack? Indeed, it seemed that they had nothing to fear. Humans are unbelievably strong. It would take the SOUL of nearly every monster... ...just to equal the power of a single human SOUL."

 

So nearly every monster in the Underground would equal a human soul's power? That sounds... Ominous.

 

"But humans have one weakness. Ironically, it is the strength of their SOUL. Its power allows it to persist outside the human body, even after death."

 

Okay, you knew that already.

 

"If a monster defeats a human, they can take its SOUL. A monster with a human SOUL... A horrible beast with unfathomable power."

 

The next plaque is an illustration of a strange creature. Possibly a monster that had absorbed a human soul. You found the drawing to be very unsettling.

 

A small raft sat at the end of the bridge. It was just large enough to fit two people onto it.

 

It drifted to the other side of what you assumed to be the river, it was too dark to tell. Unfortunately, it was tugged back to the other side by the water.

 

There really was no going back beyond this point.

 

Another well lit area greeted you further up ahead.

 

You felt a sickening sense of déjà vu.

 

Treading carefully, you began making your way across the bridge. You heard a whistling sound and stopped when a blue spear lodged itself into the bridge directly in front of you before disappearing. A large figure clad in armor appeared in your peripheral vision to your left.

 

No doubt. That was _Undyne._

 

You did the only logical thing to do in that situation.

 

You ran.

 

It was a good thing that you did, too. Three spears flew over your head, followed by three more a few seconds later. Charlotte had managed to get ahead of you and grabbed your hand.

 

The chase went on for several minutes before the two of you ducked into some more tall grass. You were pressed against the wall, Charlotte's hand clamped over your mouth once more.

 

A metal clad hand suddenly rushed forward and latched onto something.

 

That something was MK.

 

MK was slowly set back down and Undyne walked back to the west, no doubt seeing if you were still there or not.

 

You and Charlotte walked out of the grass with MK.

 

"Yo... Did you two see that!? Undyne just... ...TOUCHED ME! I'm never washing my face ever again...! Man, are you both unlucky. If you were standing just a _little_ bit to the left...! Yo, don't worry! I'm sure we'll see her again!"

 

Charlotte placed her hands delicately on MK's shoulders.

 

"That all well and good, Dear, but where is Frisk?"

 

"Huh? Oh, right! Frisk went on ahead. I'm pretty sure that they were so eager to meet Undyne that they ran off earlier to join me! Yo, they aren't, like, in any trouble right? They were just super excited to meet Undyne is all! Please don't be mad at them!"

 

You patted her on the head gently.

 

"We aren't mad. Well, maybe a little upset. But mostly just worried."

 

MK nodded.

 

"Yo, I totally get it! Don't worry! I'll run up ahead and tell them that you're looking for them if I see them!"

 

MK attempted to scamper off before falling flat on her face. But she up righted herself swiftly and continued on.

 

Up ahead was another save point, a table with some crystallized cheese on it, a mouse hole, and another flower that squeaked when you listened to it.

 

*** Knowing the mouse might one day extract the cheese from the mystical crystal... It fills you with integrity.**

 

Further up ahead was Sans standing next to a telescope.

 

"Oh, hey Sans!"

 

Sans' head perked up at the sound of your voice.

 

"Hey Emily, Charlotte."

 

"Hello Sans."

 

You nodded to the telescope.

 

"So, what's up with the telescope?"

 

"Hm? Oh. I'm thinking about getting into the telescope business. It's normally fifty thousand gold to use this premium telescope... But... Since I know you, you can use it for free. Howzabout it?"

 

"I'll pass. Knowing you, this is some sort of prank that will have Emily and I being the poor victims."

 

You on the other hand, wanted to try it out. You really wanted a closer look at the crystals on the ceiling.

 

You placed your eye to the rim and all you saw was red.

 

Red paint.

 

 _Fresh_ red paint.

 

You stood up straight, turned to Sans, looked him in the eye while wiping some of the paint off, and drew a circle around one of his sockets.

 

"There, now we match."

 

Sans just looked at you in stunned silence while Charlotte cackled behind you.

 

"Heh. Good one, Pal."

 

You weren't sure why, but something inside you throbbed a little at him calling you 'Pal.' You brushed it off and just giggled girlishly at your antics.

 

"I aim to please."

 

You bid adieu to Sans and washed the rest of the paint off with some of the water that was nearby. It was pleasantly cool and seemed to glow a bit.

 

"Oh! Hello again!"

 

You turned at the familiar voice.

 

"Mint! Hi, how are you!"

 

It was the Nice Cream vendor from Snowdin Forest. He was looking chipper.

 

"I'm doing well and business is doing a little better here! I see now that it was a little bit silly of me to try and sell a frozen treat in the area of the Underground where it's always _freezing._ So what are you three- Er. Two. What are you two up to?"

 

"We're trying to find number three right now. Frisk got really excited and ran on ahead with their friend MK."

 

"Ah, gee. If I'd have known that, I would've gotten them to stay put with me for a bit here."

 

"You saw them!?"

 

"Yeah. They swung by not too long ago with their friend and got some Nice Cream. I'm sorry... I thought that you were right behind them, or had given them permission to go on and play..."

 

Mint didn't look so chipper now.

 

You placed a hand on his shoulder.

 

"Hey. It's okay, Mint. You didn't know. But thank you for telling us that you'd seen them. They were okay, right?"

 

"Yep! Right as rain. Here..."

 

Mint pulled out two Nice Creams from his cart.

 

"I feel bad about not stopping them, regardless of what I thought. So here's two Nice Creams. On the house."

 

You took them gratefully and put them in your bag. One of the good things about Nice Cream was that it didn't melt unless it was out of the wrapper.

 

"Thank you, Mint!"

 

You threw your arms around Mint and hugged him. He eagerly returned it.

 

Sans, meanwhile, was gritting his teeth and had punctured the ketchup bottle he had been drinking from. The condiment was oozing all over his phalanges. But it wasn't like he could do anything to stop you from hugging who you wanted. You weren't his girl.

 

Yet.

 

You and Charlotte waved goodbye to Mint and continued on.

 

As you did, you heard a passing conversation from the flowers.

 

_"So? Don't you have any wishes to make?"_

 

_"...hmmm, just one, but... It's kind of stupid."_

 

_"Don't say that! Come on, I promise I won't laugh."_

 

Continuing onwards, you spotted another plaque.

 

"The power to take their SOULs. This is the power that the humans feared."

 

But that wasn't the entire story, now was it?

 

The room ahead was filled with water. As you made your way through it, several tentacles emerged from the water before disappearing and the owner of them emerged above the water.

 

"Hey... There... Noticed you were... Here... I'm Onionsan! Onionsan, y'hear!"

 

In this moment you were very disturbed.

 

'Onionsan' gave you and Charlotte this dopey grin and remained unblinking. You... You moved on.

 

But Onionsan followed.

 

"You're visiting Waterfall, huh! It's great here, huh! You love it, huh! Yeah! Me too! It's my Big Favorite."

 

You were starting to get a little creeped out.

 

"Even though, the water's getting so shallow here... I, have to sit down all the time, but... He-hey! That's OK! It beats moving to the city! And living in a crowded aquarium! Like all my friends did! "

 

NOW YOU FELT BAD.

 

"And the aquarium's full, a-anyway, so, even if I wanted to, I... That's okay though, y'hear! Undyne's gonna fix everything, y'hear! I'm gonna get out of here and live in the ocean! Y'hear!"

 

It's good to have dreams.

 

"Hey... There... That's the end of this room. I'll see you around! Have a good time! In Waterfallllllllllllllllllllllllllllll."

 

Once you got to the next room, you breathed a sigh of relief. Onionsan seemed like a nice person, but they just came off as a tad bit creepy to you.

 

You heard what sounded like a music box playing in the distance and heard someone in the room humming along to its tune.

 

In the corner was a small, floating fish monster. They resembled an angler fish. 

 

"Your humming's very pretty."

 

They stopped suddenly and tried to burrow their way into the corner.

 

"Oh! I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I hate to bother you but you wouldn't have happened to see a dinosaur kid and a kid that kind of looks like I do come through here, would you?"

 

The monster perked up at you mentioning the kids and nodded.

 

"Where did they go?"

 

The monster was worrying their lip with some rather sharp looking teeth.

 

"It's okay, I'm sure we'll find them eventually."

 

You began walking away before an airy voice stopped you.

 

"W-wait!"

 

You turned back to the monster. She, as the voice indicated, was messing with her seaweed looking hair.

 

"Th-they went on ahead before coming back and playing the piano in the room to the north of this one... Then they went back to the east..."

 

You had to really strain to hear her.

 

"Thank you so much- Errr..."

 

"Oh! Sh- Shyren... My name's Shyren..."

 

"Thank you, Shyren dear. We'll be on our way now. And do please continue practicing your humming. It's quite lovely. I'll bet you have an amazing singing voice."

 

Shyren blushed and hid her face in her fins.

 

You smiled as you walked away. Shyren reminded you of your younger self and how you would act around strangers.

 

There were more plaques to be read.

 

"This power had no counter. Indeed, a human cannot take a monster's SOUL. When a monster dies, its SOUL disappears. And an incredible power would be needed to take the SOUL of a living monster."

 

Hmm...

 

"There is only one exception. The SOUL of a special species of monster called a 'Boss Monster.' A Boss Monster's SOUL is strong enough to persist after death... If only for a few moments. A human could absorb this SOUL. But this has never happened. And now it never will."

 

Your heart went out to the monsters. Both of the past and the present. You don't think that the human queen should have cheated on the king, after all that's what started all of this in the first place, but the king shouldn't have declared death to all monsters after he had executed his wife and her lover.

 

But you can't change the past. Even if someone could, you weren't sure you would want them to. After all, there's no telling how things would play out if you tried a different path.

 

You continued walking and eventually came across the source of the music. An old, crumbling statue was holding an umbrella and thus keeping the small amount of water from pouring on it.

 

You hadn't noticed that Charlotte had wandered off, you were too tuned into the music.

 

You opened your eyes, when had you closed them? You continued to look at the statue...

 

...and noticed a familiar flower next to it.

 

He turned to you, no malice in his expression.

 

"Howdy. Remember me?"

 

You furrowed your brow.

 

"Yeah. You tried to kill me and Frisk."

 

Flowey shrunk back slightly from your glare.

 

"H-hey... Wh-what's with _that_ look?"

 

He seemed nervous.

 

Good.

 

"I'm not too keen on acting all buddy-buddy with someone that tried to end my life. _That's_ what the look is for."

 

"Eheheheh..."

 

His smile seemed strained.

 

"What do you want, Flowey."

 

He straightened up.

 

"Nothing. I'm just keeping an eye on you, that's all."

 

"So that's why I've been getting the feeling that I was being watched!"

 

He flinched back.

 

"What's wrong with you? Why are you acting so nervous and why do you keep flinching?"

 

"You... Just look a lot like an old friend of mine. Your face looks exactly like hers whenever she'd get mad. Minus the eye color of course."

 

You had absolutely no idea who he was talking about. Why anyone would consider being friends with this guy was beyond you.

 

"Well obviously, I'm not them. I don't like you, but I'm not going to hurt you. Go away now."

 

He seemed conflicted. He looked like he wanted to say some pretty choice words to you for telling him what to do, and at the same time it looked like he wanted to ask you something pretty important.

 

Flowey came to a decision.

 

"Fine. But I'm going to keep watching you. You're not supposed to be down here, you know. But you're here. That makes you something that has never happened before, something new. Oh, and a word of advice. Stay away from Smiley Trashbag. That guy is nothing but bad news and has a lot of emotional baggage."

 

Flowey popped into the dirt and burrowed away, but you had a feeling that he hadn't gone far.

 

Charlotte was walking towards you with an umbrella.

 

"It's raining pretty hard up ahead."

 

You nodded and got underneath the umbrella with her.

 

Rain pattered down on the umbrella mercilessly. You clung close to Charlotte.

 

You eventually made it to a clearing.

 

The view was incredible. In the distance, you could see the king's castle. In front of it appeared to be a large city.

 

"That's New Home. Before Toriel moved into the Ruins and built her house over the exit, I would visit on a rare occasion, though I mostly stayed in the Ruins. I never really had to travel through each area like this though. There would always be this individual -no one for the life of them could tell if they were a man or a woman- who would let people ride around in their boat to any area of the Underground that the river reached. We'd taken to calling them Riverperson."

 

The rain continued in the next room. There was a high ledge that no one person could reach alone unless they were extremely athletic or could fly.

 

Charlotte put the umbrella into a bin and allowed you to climb up with her assistance and you pulled her up once you had made it.

 

You came across more plaques and a save point in the next room.

 

"The humans, afraid of our power, declared war on us. They attacked suddenly, and without mercy."

 

*** The serene sound of a distant music box... It fills you with integrity.**

 

"In the end, it could hardly be called a war. United, the humans were too powerful, and us monsters, too weak. Not a single SOUL was taken, and countless monsters were turned to dust..."

 

You turned your eyes to Charlotte. She looked at the plaque with an intensity that you've never seen before.

 

"It was so long ago. That day..."

 

She stayed silent for a few moments longer then turned to you.

 

"Dear. I don't hate humans. Even after what they did to us monsters. The ones that had us sealed were but a few that could not stand to share the land with us. Those that knew the true reason behind the war did not want their spouses to become enthralled by a monster and sought to make certain that there was no possible way that would happen. I do not hate humans because I remember those that assisted us. Those that wanted us to live alongside them. Those that loved monsters, and had a monster that loved them. I know not if any of those couples were meant to be together, but they were all so happy together I couldn't find it in me to care."

 

You looked up at her. You often forgot that Charlotte was a lot older than she looked. The war had started almost immediately after she had been born. All she ever knew was fighting. And yet she was one of the kindest people you had ever met in your entire life. How? After everything that she had gone through...

 

How could Charlotte be so kind?

 

And what did she mean by 'meant to be together?'

 

You supposed you could ask her about that statement later, when the mood wasn't so grim and you had found Frisk.

 

The bridge the two of you were walking on was sturdy. A breeze fluttered in and ruffled the skirt of your dress a bit.

 

The spaces surrounding you and Charlotte suddenly glowed blue. Out from the blue puddles of what you could only assume to be magic spears rose swiftly.

 

Undyne was here.

 

You and Charlotte booked it.

 

The puddles of magic kept appearing and disappearing at a rapid pace. You almost had gotten hit by some a few times.

 

Undyne, you decided, was a woman that was not to be trifled with lightly. If you were going to take her on, you'd have to bring everything you had.

 

You had a feeling that she'd be the one thing to get in your way of accessing the next area.

 

So on you ran. It seemed as though the longer you took to escape, the faster the spears came.

 

You eventually made it to the very end of the bridge. Literally the end, there was nowhere else to go.

 

The spears had stopped altogether, so you and Charlotte decided to make your way back.

 

Undyne had other plans for you.

 

She was a lot taller than you were. She also looked to be a bit taller than Papyrus, though not by much. You could feel her glaring at you through her helmet. Charlotte stood in front of you defensively.

 

Undyne moved back a bit at the sight of Charlotte. Had she not noticed her until now? Undyne steeled her resolve and called forth an array of spears...

 

And brought them down upon the bridge.

 

Hard.

 

The part of the bridge you were standing on shook violently until it gave way.

 

You were falling.

 

Falling...

 

Falling...

 

Darkness.

 

* * *

Everything was blurry.

 

Your head _really_ hurt.

 

Footsteps. And they were getting close to you.

 

You were scared. Had _she_ found you?

 

"It sounds like it came from over here..."

 

That...

 

Wasn't _her_ voice.

 

No.

 

This voice was pleasant to hear.

 

"Oh! You've fallen down, haven't you..."

 

You wanted to say 'no shit, Sherlock,' but it hurt to even move let alone talk.

 

"Are you okay? Here, get up..."

 

Whoever was speaking wrapped their arms around your middle and helped you up.

 

"So, what's your name?"

 

...

 

"Chara, huh? That's a nice name."

 

You tried your best to look at who was helping you, but every thing was so blurry.

 

"My name is-"

 

It was so bright.

 

* * *

You felt yourself being gently shaken awake.

 

"Emily? Emily? Please, wake up Dearest. The Dump is no place to take a nap. Even if it is on this bed of flowers. Odd that they would grown here, I've only ever seen them in two places..."

 

You got up slowly.

 

Your head _really_ hurt.

 

"How long was I out for?"

 

"A few minutes. You've really got to stop passing out on me."

 

"Ha. I'll try."

 

Charlotte hoisted you up to your feet. You felt a surge of dizziness hit you and almost fell down.

 

"Whoa! Let's take it easy there..."

 

Charlotte wrapped an arm around your shoulder and began guiding you through the Dump until you felt as though you could walk by yourself. There were a lot of brands that you recognized in the piles of garbage.

 

You came across yet another save point.

 

*** The waterfall here seems to flow from ceiling of the cavern... Occasionally, a piece of trash will flow through... ...and fall into the bottomless abyss below. Viewing this endless cycle of worthless garbage... It fills you with integrity.**

 

You managed to convince Charlotte to let you walk on your own. You came across an orange cooler that had two packages of 'Astronaut Food' in it and took them. There was also a copy of _Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2_ that had desperate claw marks marring the cover.

 

You completely understood why _that_ was here. It was complete and utter trash.

 

Further up ahead was a training dummy not unlike the one that Toriel had you practice on when you were first exploring the Ruins.

 

You stared into its eyes for a moment before continuing. You stopped walking when you heard a splashing sound coming from behind you.

 

You were about to turn around when the dummy burst from the water in front of you. And it had also turned orange for some reason?

 

"Hahaha... Too intimidated to fight me, huh!?"

 

Oh good Lord. This guy sounded like he was some tough guy wannabe from Brooklyn.

 

"I am a ghost that lives inside a DUMMY."

 

Okay.

 

"My cousin used to live inside a DUMMY, too. Until... YOU CAME ALONG!"

 

...come again?

 

"When you talked to them, they thought they were in for a nice chat... But the things you SAID...! Horrible. Shocking! UNBELIEVABLE! It spooked them right out of their dummy! HUMAN! I'll scare your SOUL out of your body!"

 

All you said was that the dummy could accomplish their dreams if they just believed in themselves!

 

*** Mad Dummy blocks the way!**

 

ACT

 

> Mad Dummy

 

> Talk

 

*** You talk to the DUMMY.**

 

*** ...**

 

*** It doesn't seem much for conversation.**

 

*** No one is happy with this.**

 

"Futile. Futile! FUTILE!"

 

Some smaller dummies came out and then turned into little squiggles that followed after you. You ran away from them, some of them hit Maddie- that's what you were calling the dummy.

 

"OWWWW, you DUMMIES!! Watch where your aiming you MAGIC attacks!"

 

...

 

"Hey! You! Forget I said anything about Magic!!!"

 

*** Mad Dummy is looking nervous.**

 

ACT

 

> Mad Dummy

 

> Check

 

*** MAD DUMMY 7 ATK -40 DEF**

 

*** Because they're a ghost, physical attacks will fail.**

 

"I'll defeat you and take your SOUL!"

 

More dummies.

 

You decided to CHECK the dummy again, since it didn't seem like MERCY was going to work right now.

 

"I'll use your SOUL to cross the barrier!"

 

More dummies.

 

*** Mad Dummy is bossing around his bullets.**

 

You tried talking to Maddie again. Nothing happened.

 

"I'll stand in the window of a fancy store!"

 

More dummies.

 

*** Mad Dummy is getting cotton all over the dialogue box.**

 

You tried talking again. Still nothing.

 

"THEN EVERYTHING I WANT WILL BE MINE!"

 

More dummies.

 

More failed attempts at talking.

 

"Huh? Yeah, I guess that'll avenge my cousin."

 

More dummies.

 

You tried to SPARE him this time. Didn't work.

 

"What was their name again...?"

 

More dummies.

 

More not talking.

 

"Whatever. Whatever! WHATEVER!!"

 

Even more dummies.

 

You were beginning to get bored.

 

"Pitiful. Pitiful! PITIFUL!"

 

So bored with this.

 

"Foolish. Foolish! FOOLISH!"

 

This guy seriously needed some anger management classes.

 

"HEY GUYS!"

 

The mini dummies stood front and center.

 

"Dummies. Dummies! DUMMIES! Remember how I said NOT to shoot at me? Well... FAILURES! YOU'RE FIRED! YOU'RE ALL BEING REPLACED!!!"

 

The dummies went away.

 

"Hahaha. Hahaha! HAHAHA! Now you'll see my true power: Relying on people that aren't garbage!"

 

One of the mini dummies buried its face into your leg and cried a little bit.

 

*** Mechanical whirrs fill the room.**

 

Oh he better not be doing what you think he's doing.

 

"DUMMY BOTS! MAGIC MISSILE!"

 

Mechanical dummies.

 

*** Mad Dummy is doing an armless ska dance.**

 

Okay, you'll admit that that's impressive.

 

"DUMMY BOTS! TRY AGAIN!"

 

They do and they fail.

 

This guy has issues.

 

"DUMMY BOTS! You're awful???"

 

*** Smells like a clothing store.**

 

As long as it ain't Abercrombie and Fitch. It reeks in there from all the crap they spray.

 

"DUMMY BOTS FINAL ATTACK!"

 

Somehow, you survived.

 

"(N... No way! These guys are even WORSE than the other guys!) Who cares. Who cares! WHO CARES!! I DON'T NEED FRIENDS!!!"

 

A knife suddenly levitated to Maddie's side.

 

"I'VE GOT KNIVES!!!"

 

Maddie threw it, but it was such a bad throw that all you had to do was cock your head to the side a bit to dodge.

 

"I'm... Out of knives. BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER!!! YOU CAN'T HURT ME AND I CAN'T HURT YOU! YOU'LL BE STUCK FIGHTING ME... Forever. Forever! FOREVER!!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-!"

 

Maddie's insane cackling was cut short when he began to get hit with what looked to be...

 

Tears?

 

"Wh... What the heck is this!? Ergh! Acid rain!?! Oh, FORGET IT! I'm outta here!"

 

And he just sorta... Glided away.

 

"...sorry."

 

You turned at the sound of a new voice.

 

It was Napstablook!

 

"I interrupted you, didn't I? As soon as I came over, your friend immediately left... Oh no... You guys looked like you were having fun... Oh no... I just wanted to say hi... Oh no................................"

 

Oh that wasn't his fault! You really needed to work on Napstablook's confidence.

 

"Well... I'm going to head home now... Oh... Umm... Feel free to 'come with' if you want... But no pressure... I understand if you're busy... It's fine... No worries... Just thought I'd offer... Oh... That kid that was with you in the Ruins... They're hanging out with a friend at my house... They said you were looking for them and decided to wait there for you..."

 

WELL THANK GOD FOR SMALL MIRACLES.

 

You followed after Napstablook.

 

"Hey... My house is up here... In case you want to see... Or in case... You don't..."

 

Really. Why is his confidence and self-esteem so low?! You may have been afraid of ghost before you met Napstablook, but you'd be damned if you let him go on through life being a complete doormat!

 

He could still be a doormat, just not a complete one.

 

*** You feel a calming tranquility. You're filled with integrity...**

 

You followed Napstablook to his home.

 

"Oh... You two actually came... Well... I'm gonna warn you now... Uh... MK is gonna beg you not to be mad at Frisk... Probably... So... Yeah..."

 

Napstablook opened the door and you and Charlotte followed him inside.

 

"Uh... Frisk... Your family's here..."

 

"Sissy! Aunt Charlotte!"

 

Frisk tackled your legs in a hug and you couldn't help but scoop them up affectionately.

 

"I'm happy to see you, too. But you shouldn't have run off like that."

 

Frisk has the good sense to look ashamed of the stunt that they pulled. They knew the Underground like the back of their hand...

 

But you didn't know that.

 

At least, they didn't know you knew.

 

"I'm sorry... I just got excited..."

 

You kiss the top of their head.

 

"I know. But we will have to think of a proper punishment to ensure that you don't do something like that again."

 

Frisk only nodded. They understood that their actions had consequences.

 

They understood that better than anyone else.

 

"Beg pardon, but how did the two of you even get here? They way we took lead to a dead end."

 

"We took the duck, Charlotte," MK piped up.

 

"The duck?"

 

You looked to Frisk.

 

"The duck?"

 

A few minutes later, you were to the west of the small town, looking at a rather large duck.

 

"The duck!"

 

Frisk was really excited to show you the duck.

 

"Frisk... You forgot your things..."

 

Napstablook was holding an old tutu and some beat up ballet slippers.

 

"Thank you!"

 

They handed them to you to put in your bag, which you did.

 

"I guess I better go..."

 

"Hold on!"

 

Napstablook stopped midturn, his headphones bobbing along to his movements.

 

"Did I do something wrong...?"

 

"No no! I just wanted to thank you for watching Frisk and MK! I'm really sorry that they just dropped in on you unexpectedly like that, but you're a real sweetheart for letting them stay!"

 

Napstablook flushed a light gray.

 

"O-oh... D-don't worry about it..."

 

And for some reason, you weren't sure why, something just compelled you to do it... You leaned over a bit...

 

And smooched the ghost.

 

On his forehead.

 

Napstablook flushed an even darker shade of gray and became a stuttering mess before he fled in the general direction of his house.

 

MK had long since run ahead, Frisk didn't follow her example this time.

 

The three of you walked east for a time until you came across an old turtle monster.

 

One that Charlotte knew, apparently .

 

"Gerson!"

 

'Gerson' lifted his head at the sound of his name being called and a big grin split his face.

 

"Charlotte Sunburst as I live and breath!"

 

The two shared a fond embrace.

 

"Just look at you! All grown up yet not looking a day over two thousand!"

 

"Oh, you flatter me, old friend. It has been quite a few millennium since I saw you last. How have you been faring?"

 

"Ah, can't complain. After we all got stuck down here, I retired from the Royal Guard and decided to start up a little shop. Of course, I still trained promising members of the Royal Guard when ole Fluffybuns asked me to. But I've gotten a bit too old for that. Hmmm?"

 

Gerson was peering around Charlotte at you and Frisk now.

 

"Charlotte, I hate to alarm ya, but there's a couple of humans standing right behind ya."

 

"I'm well aware. Gerson, these are my friends. Emily and Frisk, though the latter refers to me as 'Aunt.'"

 

Gerson honed his gaze on Frisk.

 

"Oh they do, eh?" He smiled warmly at the child. "Well, if Charlotte lets ya call her that, you're alright in my book, Squirt." He turned his gaze on you. "And what about you? You ain't keen on causing trouble, are ya?"

 

"Oh leave her alone, Gerson! Do you honestly think I would call her my friend if she had ill intentions towards monsters?"

 

Gerson stroked his beard in thought.

 

"S'pose not. Can never be too careful, you know that. You _do_ know that Undyne's on the hunt for humans right now, right? Oh, wait, you probably have no inkling as to who I'm referring to..."

 

"We've recently and quite violently become acquainted."

 

"Wahaha! And you two humans are still kicking?! You're made of tough stuff!"

 

"I would love to catch up with you some more Gerson, but we're on a mission right now."

 

"Nobody understands better than I do to never get in the way of a woman on a mission! If your friends survive, bring 'em back!"

 

The three of you left Gerson to laugh gleefully to himself.

 

There were more plaques waiting to be read in the next room.

 

"Hurt, beaten, and fearful for our lives, we surrendered to the humans. Seven of their greatest magicians sealed us underground with a magic spell. Anything can enter through the seal, but only beings with a powerful SOUL can leave.

 

"There is only one way to reverse this spell. If a huge power, equivalent to seven human SOULs, attacks the barrier... It will be destroyed.

 

"But this cursed place has no entrances or exits. There is no way a human could come here. We will remain trapped down here forever."

 

You felt super sad now. No words were exchanged.

 

The next room had little paths of glowing grass. Frisk went a little bit ahead and pinched a dimly colored mushroom, causing it to glow and a path to be lit.

 

You walked idly along to the next set of mushrooms when a small, white blur tackled your legs. You looked down.

 

"Hoi! I'm Temmie! Temmie think you smell nice!"

 

Temmie was pawing at your boots for whatever reason. This was perhaps the cutest thing you had ever seen in your entire life. Ever.

 

And yes. You're including that baby seal that one time at the zoo.

 

You were so busy paying attention to Temmie that you didn't feel the ominous presence lurking to your left until it was too late.

 

"We meet again, Gorgeous."

 

OH GOD NOT AARON AARON WAS CREEPY!!! WHAT WITH ALL THE WINKING AND SUCH!!!

 

Fortunately, Temmie seemed to share your sentiments.

 

"NO! Muscles are not cute! Temmie says that icky Aaron needs to take his icky, yucky muscles and leave!!!"

 

You noticed that Temmie seemed to have some sort of Engrish accent, but it wasn't prominent.

 

Aaron looked down at Temmie for a moment, something you didn't recognize flickering in his eyes before he sighed dejectedly and left.

 

Temmie got up on her hind legs and skipped happily around you now that Aaron was gone.

 

"Temmie is happy that icky, stinky Aaron's gone! Temmie have confidence to tell him to get lost because new friend was here! Temmie wishes that Temmie was smart enough to make something to show Temmie's gratitude, but Temmie doesn't have enough muns for cool leg..."

 

"'Cool leg?' Do you mean 'college?'"

 

"That's what Tem said! Cool leg! Tem only needs one thousand more muns before Tem can go to cool leg. But muns are hard to make!"

 

You reached into the side pocket of your bad and counted out the combined equivalent of one thousand gold.

 

"Here."

 

"You give Temmie muns?! Muns for Tem's cool leg!?! Tem is very grateful and will see you after Tem graduates!"

 

Temmie ran off to the south, only to come back a few minutes late with a graduation cap on her head.

 

"Temmie graduated as Valedictorian from cool leg! Here, Tem made you something to show Tem's gratitude. Temy Armor!"

 

The armor was obviously well crafted. It had that symbol that Toriel's dress ha etched into the chest plate.

 

"And look! Temy Armor can shrink down to fit anyone! Go really small! Like the size of a donut!"

 

And it did. Temmie handed the shrunken armor to you and you placed it in your bag.

 

"Temmie will tell you this! Only use Temy Armor when you _really_ need it! Trust Tem, you'll know when the time comes."

 

Temmie scampered away back to the south, you wanted to follow her and say thank you, but Frisk was pulling you to the north.

 

The next room was dark, really dark. There was a small lantern nearby and Frisk tapped on it. The darkness faded and you could see the path, but purple crystals were slowly absorbing the light again, not that it really mattered because you had Charlotte.

 

There was another plaque.

 

"Without candles or magic to guide them Home, the monsters used crystals to navigate."

 

You made it through the room with relative ease.

 

Unfortunately, the room up ahead was pitch black. You blindly walked straight, not really sure where you were going.

 

You came to a dead end with a single flower at the end.

 

" **Behind you.** "

 

The darkness faded and you whirled around to see Undyne standing there, looking menacing as ever.

 

"... Seven. Seven human souls. With the power of seven human souls, our king... King Asgore Dreemurr... ...will become a god. With that power, Asgore can finally shatter the barrier. He will finally take the surface back from humanity... And give them back the suffering and pain that we have endured. ... Understand, humans? This is your only chance at redemption. Give up your souls... Or I'll tear them from your bodies."

 

Undyne took a stance and summoned a spear.

 

"Charlotte," you murmured. "If she attacks, I want you to take Frisk and run. They only need _one_ more soul. Not two."

 

Charlotte nodded slightly, though very hesitantly.

 

Undyne began approaching cautiously.

 

"Undyne!!! I'll help you fight!!!"

 

MK?

 

"YO!!!! You did it!!! Undyne is RIGHT in front of you!!! You've got front row seats to her fight!!!"

 

MK looked around excitedly before slowly calming down.

 

"...wait. Who's she fighting???"

 

Undyne grabbed MK's cheek and began walking away.

 

"H-hey! You aren't gonna tell my parents about this, are you?"

 

You stared after Undyne, bewildered.

 

Frisk began moving back to a path that you hadn't seen previously due to the darkness that hung in the room a few moments ago.

 

You hear a passing conversation between the flowers.

 

_"...hmmm... If I say my wish... You promise you won't laugh at me?"_

 

_"Of course I won't laugh!"_

 

_"Someday, I'd like to climb this mountain we're all buried under. Standing under the sky, looking at the world all around... That's my wish."_

 

You hear laughter coming from the next flower.

 

_"...hey, you said you wouldn't laugh at it!"_

 

_"Sorry, it's just funny... That's my wish, too."_

 

Hearing this conversation...

 

Fills you with a sense of sadness.

 

"However... There is a prophecy. The Angel... The One Who Has Seen The Surface... They will return. And the Underground will go empty."

 

The final plaque leaves you with a sense of foreshadowing. Would you meet this Angel? You highly doubt that it was you. Maybe Frisk because they'd been through this so many times? But that seems unlikely.

 

A narrow bridge hanging over a large chasm is all that greets you in the next room.

 

"Yo!"

 

MK approached you slowly.

 

"Yo, I know I'm not supposed to be here, but... I wanna ask you and Frisk something. ... Man, I've never had to ask anyone this before... Umm... Yo... You two're humans, right?"

 

You and Frisk nodded.

 

"Haha. Man! I knew it! ...well, I know it now, I mean... Undyne told me, um, 'stay away from those humans.' So, like, ummm... I guess that makes us enemies or something. But I kinda stink at that, haha. Yo, say something mean so I can hate you? Please?"

 

"We're not going to do that, MK."

 

"Yo, what? So I have to do it? Here goes nothing... Yo, I... I hate your guts. ... Man, I... I'm such a turd. I'm... I'm gonna go home now."

 

She back away from you and Frisk, unable to look either of you in the eye.

 

And then she falls.

 

And gets caught on a piece of the bridge.

 

"Yo, w-w-wait! Help! I tripped!"

 

Undyne shows up, surprising no one. But you aren't looking to fight her you move swiftly towards MK and Undyne tries to move towards you.

 

"BACK. OFF."

 

That's the only warning you're giving her.

 

You wrap an arm around MK and dislodge her sweater from where it got stuck. You set her down gently and she looks at you in awe.

 

Undyne tries to move towards you again, but MK is the one to stop her this time.

 

"Y... Y... Yo... Dude... If... If y-you wanna hurt my friends... You're gonna have to get through me, first."

 

Undyne backs off.

 

"She's gone... Yo, you really saved my skin. Guess being enemies was just a nice thought, haha. We'll just have to be friends instead. ...man, I should REALLY go home... I bet my parents are worried sick about me!"

 

MK walks away and calls over her shoulder.

 

"Later, dudes!"

 

You truck on, stopping when you make it to what looks like a small mountain inside of the mountain.

 

The irony is not lost on you.

 

"Seven. Seven human souls, and King Asgore will become a god. Six. That's how many we have collected thus far. Understand? Through one of you, the seventh and final soul will be obtained. And this world will be transformed. First, however, as is customary for those who make it this far... I shall tell you the tragic tale of our people. It all started, long ago..."

 

Undyne trailed off before snapping her gaze onto you and Frisk.

 

"... No, you know what? SCREW IT! WHY SHOULD I TELL THAT STORY WHEN THE TWO OF YOU ARE ABOUT TO DIE!?! NGAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

 

Undyne threw her helmet down and gazed at you and Frisk from over her shoulder before turning around.

 

Oh, okay. Undyne was a crazy fish lady with an eyepatch NOTHING STRANGE IN THE SLIGHTEST ABOUT THAT.

 

"YOU TWO! You're standing in the way of everybody's hopes and dreams! Alphys' history books made me think that humans were cool... ...with their giant robots and flowery swordswomen. BUT YOU TWO? You're just a couple of cowards! Hiding behind that kid so that you could run away from me again!  And let's not forget your wimpy goody-two-shoes-schtick! Oooh! I'm making such a difference by hugging random strangers! You know what would be more valuable to everyone? IF YOU TWO WERE DEAD!!! That's right, humans! Your continued existence is a crime! Your lives are all that stands between us and our freedom! Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts pounding together! Everyone's been waiting their whole lives for this moment! But we're not nervous at all. When everyone puts their hearts together, they can't lose! Now, humans! Let's end this, right here, right now. I'll show you how determined monsters can be! Step forward when you're ready! Fuhuhuhu!"

 

A save point appeared next to you. You don't hesitate to use it.

 

*** The wind is howling. You're filled with integrity.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending it there because I have literally been working on this all day.
> 
> I've got plans for Undyne's fight that'll help flush out Emily's character, I hope.
> 
> Also, can you tell I'm not a big fan of Aaron? The dude just comes off to me as a creepy character. If he would tone down the flirting and winking, then maybe I could like him as a character.
> 
> No Temmie Village because I don't wanna, but I wanted us to get the Temy Armor somehow.


	12. Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Undyne blocks the way.
> 
> Tiny isn't sure how she feels about her change, but she's not a huge fan of it at the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank those of you that gave your opinions on how I had been writing the confrontations. I'll endeavor to do better in the future. I hope I've taken a step forward with Undyne's this chapter.

You could never be ready to face off against her.

 

But you weren't going to get past Undyne any other way.

 

"Frisk. I want you to stay here with Charlotte."

 

"But-!"

 

"No buts. I won't have you getting hurt or worse by her. I'm the adult here. One of them at least. I need to act like it every once in awhile."

 

Frisk was about to protest your decision when Charlotte picked them up and cradled them close to her.

 

"Shhh. I don't like it either. But I would be a fool to say that I don't agree with Emily's decision to keep you out of obvious harm's way. I'll take them back. Maybe tread to where Temmie ran off to. Emily?"

 

"Yes?"

 

"Do be careful. I... I have faith that you can overcome Undyne, I just..."

 

"You worry. I know. I'll try to stay as safe as I can."

 

Charlotte's smile didn't come close to reaching her eyes. In fact, it wasn't even a smile, not really. More like a strained, upturned grimace.

 

You watched the fire monster's retreating form until she was out of sight.

 

"AHEM."

 

You tore your gaze from staring at nothing and looked up at Undyne.

 

"Are you _done_ with all the sentimental _bullshit?_ I'd like to excavate you entrails and harvest your soul sometime _this century._ "

 

You sneered slightly at this statement. How dare she. This may be the last time you see two of the people that meant the most to you in the entire world. The very _least_ Undyne could do was respect that.

 

You sighed heavily through your nose and tried to calm down. Fighting angry would _definitely_ get you killed quickly. You wanted to have a fighting chance.

 

But let's face the facts of the matter here, you were most likely going to perish here.

 

Still.

 

That didn't change the fact that you were going to _try._

 

You steeled your resolve and began moving forward.

 

Undyne's black lips pulled back into a menacing grin, revealing sharp, jagged teeth.

 

"Now _that's_ what I like to see! No more running away! You better watch out, human. Because here I come!"

 

Undyne leapt off of her perch aggressively, spear at the ready and landed directly in front of you.

 

Your soul flickered into existence.

 

*** ...**

 

*** You know that you can't beat her.**

 

*** ...right?**

 

*** You're going to get yourself _killed._**

 

ACT

 

> Speak

 

"I'm _never_ going to give up or give in."

 

"Well, tough luck, human, 'cause neither will I!"

 

Undyne motioned her spear in a swinging motion in front of you and your soul turned a seafoam green. A matching spear manifested itself into your hands.

 

Her hand raised as if signaling something unseen, Undyne called upon a barrage of spears from all around you.

 

You managed to block a few of them, but they were so fast you couldn't avoid getting hit a few times.

 

**Emily's HP: 52/60**

 

*** It smells like angry fish and stubborn women.**

 

*** Really, I'm not sure what you're even trying to accomplish here.**

 

You're trying to make it so that Frisk will never have to experience something as horrific as someone dying. You, the one they consider to be their big sister, dying.

 

You want them to leave the Underground safe and secure with Charlotte.

 

ACT

 

> Silence

 

*** You stand firm, even when faced with certain death and unsupportive criticism?**

 

*** ...**

 

You are so lost in listening to Chara that you don't even see the next attack coming until it's too late.

 

**999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999**

 

The pain is brief.

 

And then you feel nothing at all.

 

* * *

Tiny huffed in annoyance as she watched the pile of her old dresses turn into ashes.

 

It had happened.

 

She'd finally stopped growing.

 

Now, Tiny stood at five feet and nine inches tall. And that was just when she was barefoot, which she just so happened to be right now.

 

She wiggled her black, toeless feet. They reminded her of how mittens looked, minus the thumb part.

 

Tiny picked idly at her new dress. Like her old ones, it was white with a black star in the middle on the front. The top of the skirt of the dress resembled the top of a heart and sat happily on her hips, which had filled out a bit.

 

There were ruffles underneath the skirt, the bottom of which looked like flower petals to Tiny.

 

This dress was strapless like her old ones had been, a bra had been sewn into it to help with her now visible chest. She'd always been pretty flat chested and still was; but instead of being as flat as a cutting board, Tiny was now an A-Cup.

 

Tiny, to say the least, was miserable with how her body had changed.

 

Sure, she sometimes grew to this size when things got serious, but she had always had the option to shift back!

 

Now she was stuck like this until she died.

 

The only consolation was that her hair hadn't tried to go through any crazy changes. It was still a bubblegum pink with the forest green streak on the right. But now, instead of styling her hair to hide her three eyes, Tiny had restyled it so that it curled on the sides of her face.

 

She still wore her cap, but not as often as she used to.

 

Tiny didn't even see the point in her change! She could still stretch herself as far as she wanted to go and retract with no problem; but she could make herself shrink down to her original size! This 'growth spurt' as her father insisted on referring to it as only seemed to take away power from her!

 

Well, not really. Since she was forced to grow, Tiny's stats were permanently changed to what her unsealed form's stats were. But she didn't have an unsealed form now. It was just who she was now.

 

Tiny looked up from her wriggling feet at the townspeople that had gathered around her little bonfire. She had had a lot of the same dress.

 

Tiny wanted nothing more than to join the others in their merriment, but she couldn't.

 

"Tinnirius, cosa ti turba mia cara? Non è come te a lamentarti come questo."

 

"I'm just upset about my change, Papa."

 

Beaufort Hauntings was a man of great intellect. But not even he could understand why his daughter was so upset with her new appearance. In his eyes, his daughter grew to be as beautiful as her mother more and more with each passing day.

 

Beaufort placed a slightly translucent hand upon his daughter's shoulder.

 

"Lì, lì, mia cara figlia. Semplicemente non siete abituati al modo in cui che si guarda appena ancora. Concedetevi il tempo per abituarsi ad esso. Sono sicuro che ti crescono ad amarla. E chi lo sa? Forse potrai catturare la fantasia di qualche giovane gentiluomo o signora ed essere spazzato via i vostri piedi da loro!"

 

Beaufort let out a hearty laugh, razor-sharp teeth glinting in the streetlights of the lovely town he mayored. The thought of his daughter finally meeting someone nice, getting involved in a relationship with them, laughing with them, _kissing_ them...

 

Beaufort choked on his laughter.

 

The image of his one and only precious child locking lips with some faceless stranger...

 

Like _Hell_ would he be having any of that.

 

His black top hat with a red sash and his red bowtie weren't adorned with scowling skulls for nothing.

 

Beaufort's eyes, which eerily resembled a hypnotic spiral, snapped back to his daughter when she let out a depressed sigh.

 

"No, Papa. I don't want someone to like me for how I look. I want them to like me for _me._ Glaring flaws and all."

 

Beaufort patted his daughter affectionately on the back before embracing her.

 

"Non ti preoccupare, mio caro bambino. Sono certo che un giorno si sarà. Papà ti ama teneramente, figlia cara."

 

Tiny cracked a small smile.

 

"And daughter dearest loves you tenderly too, Papa."

 

Father and daughter watched together as many of the townsfolk gathered about the fire, linked arms, and began a little dance accompanied by a chant.

 

Tiny almost didn't notice the small ripple the disturbed the entirety of Darkland.

 

* * *

You were floating again.

 

It was also very dark.

 

Again.

 

Where were you...?

 

_**Idiot!** _

 

_Hello to you too, Chara._

 

_**I told you that you were going to get yourself killed! And look, you've done just that!** _

 

_I... Died?_

 

_**YES! You died because you didn't listen to me! And now you- You're-** _

 

Wet sobbing assaulted your ears and you felt a small weight clinging to your chest.

 

Chara had buried her face into your chest. This was all her fault! She should have talked to you, even at the risk of plaguing your mind with more unhappy memories of what Aunty did to her! She should have-!

 

You stopped Chara's inner loathing of herself by hugging her back firmly. Chara's entire form looked as though it was made out of colorful water. It wasn't transparent, more like it had the same appearance as murky water did. You stroked her head.

 

Chara's head sprung up from your chest, eyes damp with still falling tears.

 

"Can you... See me?"

 

"I can."

 

Her face scrunched up in agonizing sadness before she buried it into your chest again.

 

"No... No, no, no! Now you're dead, too! Damnit! I _told_ you when you started hearing me again to try and _not_ die!"

 

You were still in a state of shock. It hadn't fully hit you that yes indeed you had died.

 

The two of you juts stayed there, floating adrift in the sea of black.

 

And then you felt a warm light hit you face. You looked up.

 

**CONTINUE/ >QUIT**

 

"Chara. What is that?"

 

She pulled her head away from you once more and followed your gaze.

 

"But- But that's-"

 

You moved you hand to the left a bit as Chara got out of your hold and the arrow that was hovering over the 'QUIT' was now over the 'CONTINUE.'

 

"Do it! Hit CONTINUE!"

 

Chara's voice that had once been filled with crushing despair was now filled with passionate hope.

 

You hit CONTINUE.

 

* * *

Your eyes were attempting to adjust to the sudden brightness of everything.

 

Where were you...?

 

Huh?

 

You were...

 

Back in front of Undyne?

 

What just happened? You're pretty sure you were dead?

 

_**You were! I thought you were going to be dead for good! But... You can use the save points... So I guess it's not such a farfetched notion that you'd be able to Load and Continue, too...** _

 

_What?_

 

_**I'll explain later. Right now, you have a warrior fish woman to get past!** _

 

_Right._

 

"Emily?"

 

Right, okay. Charlotte hadn't left yet. If this whole 'save point' business worked like in video games, then you were right back to the moment before you told Charlotte to get out of here with Frisk.

 

"Charlotte. I want you to take Frisk someplace safe. Away from here, I don't care where so long as they're safe."

 

Charlotte nodded the affirmative, scooped up the protesting child, and left.

 

Once again, it was just you and Undyne.

 

" _Ugh. Finally_ you're done. Do you honestly think I'm going to let you trick me into thinking you're some sort of nice person? I bet that the only reason that fire monster is tagging along with you is because you've got someone she cares about hostage! _COWARD!!!_ Get over here so I can put an end to your miserable existence already!!!"

 

 _Already did,_ was your line of thought.

 

You stepped forward.

 

"That's what I like to see! No more running away, human! Watch out, 'cause here I come!"

 

*** Undyne blocks the way!**

 

*** Hey, do me a favor and try not to die this time?**

 

*** I know you'll probably just Load again, but still...**

 

*** It was really upsetting the first time, don't feel like seeing it again.**

 

Once again, you stood against Undyne. Your soul turned seafoam green, and a spear appeared, ready to defend.

 

"En guarde!"

 

Now, let's try not to die this time.

 

ACT

 

> Undyne

 

> Check

 

*** UNDYNE 7 ATK 0 DEF**

 

*** The Captain of the Royal Guard.**

 

*** She's the heroine that Never gives up.**

 

*** Fun fact, she has a huge thing for the Royal Scientist, but is way too tsundere to currently do anything about it.**

 

Okay. You had a feeling that that would be relevant sometime in the future.

 

 _Very_ relevant.

 

"As long as you're green you can't escape me, human! Unless you learn to face all kinds of dangers head-on... You won't last a _second_ against _ME!_ "

 

You were prepared for Undyne's opening attack this time. The spears seemed to be slower than they were previously.

 

You managed to deflect every single one.

 

Undyne gripped her spear tightly, nearly breaking it in the process.

 

_This human knows how to handle herself! This'll be just like in the animes! Only this time, instead of the human coming out on top, I will!!!!_

 

"Not bad human! I'll admit, you've got some skill!!!"

 

*** Complimenting the enemy?**

 

*** Huh, she's never done that before...**

 

"I don't want to fight you, Undyne! But I won't let you harm Frisk either!!!"

 

 _Okay, so maybe this WON'T be exactly like the animes_ , Undyne mentally grumbled.

 

"Well, it doesn't really matter what you do or don't want! I'll take your soul and that little brat's, too! It doesn't matter that we only need one more soul to be free! Humans put us down here and all must repent for their ancestors crimes against monster kind! You'll all atone for their past mistakes with your lives!!!"

 

Another wave of spears glided gracefully towards you. They too, were easily deflected.

 

_This is easy. Too easy..._

 

You had a sneaking suspicion that Undyne wasn't using the full potential of her skills just yet.

 

You dreaded what might happen if this fight were to drag on for quite a while.

 

"So you would kill an innocent child just because they were human? I thought that as Captain, you were supposed to protect the innocent!"

 

Undyne sneered at you, lips pulled back to show off her chompers. No doubt to try and intimidate you.

 

"No human is innocent! Not even the children! They'll grow up being fed lies that monsters were the ones to begin the war and grow to hate us just like the adults! It's better to end their lives now than to do it later when they're equipped with the knowledge on how to beat us!!!"

 

Undyne's sneer turned into a menacing smile as she readied her next attack.

 

"You two are standing in the way of our happy ending that we've all dreamed about for years!!! The end of the human race begins with you and the brat!!!!"

 

The spears got a bit faster and you had a bit of trouble keeping up with them.

 

**Emily's HP: 56/60**

 

*** Don't try and rile her up, you'll only make things harder for yourself in the long run.**

 

_Got it._

 

You couldn't think of anything to say at the moment, so you opted to stay silent.

 

"Sunlight is just within our grasp! I will _not_ allow you to keep us from it any longer!!!"

 

Now things were heating up. Damn this woman means business!!!

 

**Emily's HP: 50/60**

 

*** When your soul turn blue again, RUN.**

 

*** Don't try and continue fighting her.**

 

***JUST. RUN.**

 

*** And don't be afraid to use some of those healing items you've been hoarding in your bag to keep your HP up.**

 

_I'll do that._

 

Still nothing you could think of. How are you supposed to respond when someone states that you are the only thing standing in the way of what it is that they want most in the world?

 

Undyne was now suplexing a huge boulder, just because she had the physical strength to perform such a feat. She tossed it to the side when she saw you watching.

 

"And now that we've almost taken hold of it, I won't let you snatch our chance at freedom away from us!"

 

You managed not to get hit this time, good for you. You aren't being a total fuck up this round.

 

"I'm not trying to take anything away from anyone! I just want to get Frisk and myself back home!"

 

Undyne rolls her eye at you in enraged annoyance.

 

_What kind of enemy is she anyway?! This isn't how it's supposed to go!!! She's supposed to challenge me and say things like 'I'll never be defeated' and 'You have no hope of beating me!' That's how the villains always are in anime! Has this human **not** taken history or something?!?!_

 

Undyne doesn't respond to your outburst with words. Only more spears.

 

Too many spears this time to dodge them all.

 

Undyne swipes her spear over your soul again, turning it back to blue before a lone spear tries to strike you from the left.

 

You dodge.

 

**Emily's HP: 44/60**

 

*** Now's your chance!!!**

 

*** RUN!!!!!**

 

MERCY

 

> Flee

 

"Well it's been awful talking to you so I'm just going to go and make a hasty retreat now goodbye hope to never see you again!!!"

 

You swiftly dart past Undyne, ignoring her enraged calls for you to 'get back here' and fight her.

 

You ran over a bridge made of rock that hung over rapidly passing waters, avoiding getting hit by spears all the while.

 

You had nearly made it out of the room when your soul was forced back out into the open once again. It turned green and the spear reappeared into your hand.

 

*** Undyne glowers at you menacingly!!!**

 

*** Don't forget what I said.**

 

*** Healing items.**

 

*** Use them.**

 

"You will _not_ get away from me this time, human! SAY YOUR PRAYERS!!!"

 

"What the fuck is your problem?!?!"

 

"SHUT UP!!! Honestly, I'm doing you a favor by trying to end your life right now!!!"

 

Spear after spear was blocked, Undyne all the while glaring at you hatefully.

 

"How is trying to kill me a favor exactly!!!"

 

"No human had ever made it past Asgore!!! You think you'll be able to? HA! Don't make me laugh!!! He'd crush you in no time flat!!! That little punk kid, too!!! By killing you now, I'm saving you from a much more painful end, and that's a lot more than you humans deserve!!!"

 

A spear slowly approached from the left. You were so busy focusing on it that you almost didn't notice the other spear flying at you.

 

You deflected a few, including the slow moving one, but not all of them.

 

**Emily's HP: 40/60**

 

*** You're not at the halfway point yet, but keep an eye on your HP regardless.**

 

_I will._

 

"That may be true, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to roll over and let you end my life!!!"

 

Undyne tugged on some of the hair that had gotten loose from her ponytail, frustrated at your refusal to accept your fate.

 

"Ngahhhhh!!!! You just don't get it!!! Killing you here and now is an act of mercy!!! The only one I'm _ever_ going to offer you!!!"

 

Your forehead was beginning to perspire. Undyne was relentless.

 

"I don't care!!! I'm not ready to die and I won't let anyone lay a hand on Frisk with the intent to harm!!!"

 

Undyne grounded her teeth angrily.

 

"UGH!!!! Just stop being so _damn_ resilient already and die like a good little human!!!"

 

You barely managed to deflect the oncoming attacks before your soul turned blue once again and the lone spear came after it.

 

MERCY

 

> Flee

 

"I'm outta here!"

 

Undyne was once again left in angry shock as you fled the scene once more.

 

_NO!!! This isn't how it's supposed to happen!!! You'd think this human had never **seen** anime before!!!!!_

 

"GET BACK HERE PUNK!!!"

 

You say 'Hell no' to that notion and keep moving forward.

 

Undyne's was closing in on you again and nearly had the collar of your dress in her grasp when your phone rang.

 

She stopped chasing you and you stopped running, confusion taking over your features when you looked back to her.

 

"Well? Aren't you going to answer it?"

 

You gave her the 'bitch are you for real?' look before you rolled your eyes and pulled out your phone.

 

Wait, who was calling you? Because it definitely wasn't Toriel.

 

"...hello?"

 

_"HELLO, EMILY!!!"_

 

You pulled the phone away from your ear as the load voice of Papyrus assaulted your listening hole.

 

"Papyrus...?"

 

_"YES, IT IS I!!! THE GREAT PAPYRUS! SO, HEY! WHAT'S UP?"_

 

Oh, you know. Just running for your life. Nothing out of the ordinary.

 

You looked over at Undyne who was watching you with intense interest.

 

"Uh... Not, much? How about you?"

 

_"I MYSELF HAVE BEEN VERY PREOCCUPIED WITH PREPARATIONS FOR MY TRAINING SESSION WITH UNDYNE TODAY!!! I AM CURRENTLY WAITING OUTSIDE HER HOUSE."_

 

"You're waiting for Undyne outside her house."

 

_"INDEED!"_

 

You looked at the phone with a confuse expression before shaking your head and putting it back to your ear.

 

"That's... Great Papyrus! It really shows just how dedicated to your training you are if you're willing to wait outside Undyne's house for who knows how long for your training session with her!"

 

_"W-WOWIE!!! YOU... YOU REALLY THINK SO?!?!"_

 

"I do."

 

_"OH EMILY, THIS IS SO GREAT!!! WE SHOULD ALL HANG OUT TOGETHER SOMETIME!!! YOU, ME, UNDYNE, FRISK, AND CHARLOTTE I MEAN. UNDYNE IS ONE OF MY VERY BEST FRIENDS, BARRING YOU, FRISK, AND CHARLOTTE OF COURSE. I WOULD ABSOLUTELY ADORE IT IF MY FRIENDS WERE TO BECOME FRIENDS!!! YOU THREE WOULD MAKE GREAT PALS WITH HER, I THINK! I KNOW! WE'LL MEET UP AT HER HOUSE LATER AND HANG OUT LIKE BEST BUDDIES! OH, I HAVE TO GO, THE BATTERY ON MY PHONE IS STARTING TO DIE!"_

 

And then he hung up.

 

You put the phone back to its rightful place in a side pocket in your bag before turning your gaze back to Undyne.

 

"Now. If I'm not mistaken, I was in the middle of running away from you."

 

You resumed doing so, but Undyne caught up to you in no time.

 

Soul dyed green and spear in hand, you braced yourself.

 

"Now, this is the last time you escape from my clutches, human!!!"

 

*** You're so close!**

 

*** Just hang in there a little longer!!!**

 

You say nothing, you're tired and you want this fight to be over with already.

 

"Alphys wasn't kidding when she said that humans were determined... I can see what she meant by that now But I'm determined, too!"

 

It started out like all the other attacks, until a yellowed spear that was facing you hilt first came in from out of nowhere and decided to switch sides at the last minute.

 

**Emily's HP: 38/60**

 

*** Watch out, she'll be doing that for the rest of the fight now.**

 

_Thanks for the heads up._

 

You gripped your spear, the magic it was forged from crackling happily in your hold.

 

"I'm determined to end this! _Right now!!!_ "

 

No damage taken this turn, hey you're starting to get pretty good at this.

 

Undyne stared at you for a second, before her face twisted back into a rage filled expression.

 

"..."

 

"... _RIGHT NOW!!!_ "

 

Oh sweet Jesus.

 

Too fast this time.

 

**Emily's HP: 34/60**

 

You debated on whether or not to use an item, and ultimately decided against it this turn.

 

Undyne's grin was cold and ruthless.

 

"Heh heh heh..."

 

Managed to stay on top of things this time.

 

"Just give up already, Undyne."

 

"Ha... Ha... AHAHAHAHAH!!! LIKE _HELL!!!!_ "

 

_This is the most intense fight I've had in **months**!!! It almost makes me want to keep the human alive!!! Almost, but not quite. Man, she's as stubborn as Starbomber is... Hey, what's going on with that girl anyways? Hasn't shown up for practice in a while... Wait. FOCUS UNDYNE!!!_

 

A barrage of spears, both normal and yellow, assaulted you from all angles, but you somehow deflected them all.

 

"I'm not going to fight back, Undyne."

 

You may not like Undyne, but you weren't going to hurt her.

 

You didn't think you had it in you anyways.

 

"NGAHHH!!! If you're not going to fight then just _die_ already you little punk!!!"

 

Nothing but yellow spears this time around. It was tricky, but you managed to counter them. Your soul turned blue again and you dodged the lone spear.

 

MECRY

 

> Flee

 

"I really wish you'd just give up already!!!"

 

You raced through the long corridor, Undyne hot on your heels. You could feel the temperature around you beginning to rise at a rapid rate.

 

The light was almost blinding as you made your way out, but you pushed forward.

 

You raced past a dozing Sans, who Undyne saw it fit to approach before turning away from him with an angry look on her face. Well, angrier. Sans _was_ still a sentry after all. She must be upset that he wasn't awake to stop you.

 

You kept going, but unfortunately tripped on the skirt of your dress and landed in front of a water cooler.

 

You just now noticed that you still had the spear in your grasp.

 

Heavy, metal footsteps were slowly approaching you now. Undyne's appearance was all askew. Her hair had several strands loose. She was sweating quite profusely and seemed to be struggling to breath.

 

"I... Will not... Allow myself... To lose to... The likes of you!"

 

She was panting hard. Her arm trembled as she lifted it. She had summoned a countless amount of spears.

 

" **D I E .** "

 

She let them fly.

 

You were going to be skewered. Again. And then you'd have to do this all over again, probably. You lifted your hand, the one with the spear in its clutch, and waited for the impact.

 

But it never came.

 

You cracked your eyes open slowly, only to snap them open in awe at what was around you.

 

The spear you were holding was gone. Surrounding you was a bubble the same shade of blue as your soul. Several spears that had lodged themselves into the bubble disappeared.

 

You lowered you hand, and the bubble melted down into the spear you had been holding, before it too vanished.

 

Undyne, meanwhile, was passed out on the ground, looking _extremely_ overheated.

 

You looked to your right at the water cooler. You got up from off the ground. You were sweating. A lot. Your winter dress was _not_ ideal for this climate.

 

You plucked a cup from the dispenser, filled it with water, and walked over to Undyne.

 

She looked really dried out.

 

You poured the cup of water onto her face.

 

It took a few seconds, but Undyne cracked her eye open a little bit and groaned at the sight of you.

 

"Get on with it already. If you're going to kill me, just do it..."

 

The heroine had been defeated.

 

You rolled your eyes in annoyance. Honestly, this woman...

 

You pulled one of Undyne's arms over your shoulders and helped her stand up.

 

"What are you... Doing...?"

 

You gave her a sideways glance.

 

"Papyrus is waiting for you. You don't want to disappoint him, now do you?"

 

You might have just imagined it, but you could have _sworn_ that Undyne cracked a small smile at you.

 

You trudged along. Believe it or not, helping a delirious fish woman clad in full body armor back to her home was very strenuous.

 

For a moment, you thought you heard a voice in your head that wasn't Chara's.

 

But it was probably just the heat getting to you.

 

**~~* You struggle along to assist the woman that tried to murder you back to her home.~~ **

~~~~

**~~* Your kindness towards someone that wished you ill will baffles the mind.~~ **

~~~~

**~~* You are filled with INTEGRITY.~~ **


	13. It's Getting Hot In Here, So Punch That Fish In the Face!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You pretty much just barge into Undyne's house and take up residence and help her get better.
> 
> Emily's still kinda pissed about the whole 'getting killed but no one but Chara and her (and Frisk, but they weren't there) remember it' thing.
> 
> And a fire is started, surprising no one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is pretty much a filler chapter. Sorry. But it does move the plot along, so it's not useless filler.

If someone had told Gerson that Undyne -a woman with a well-known dislike for humans- would one day be pretty much carried all the way to her home by a human that she had tried vehemently to kill, well...

 

It's needless to say that he would have laughed in that person's face until they got embarrassed for saying such a thing and left in a quick hurry to go and nurse their wounded pride.

 

So, it came as quite a shock to him when he saw you, _Emily_ he recalled Charlotte saying that that was your name, struggling to keep a barely conscious Captain on her feet.

 

In fact, he dropped a crate filled with crab apples from the mere sight of the extremely bizarre picture laid out before him. 

 

Fallen produce forgotten about for the moment, the old warrior dashed as fast as his creaky joints would allow him to and helped lift up Undyne's right side.

 

"Thank you, Gerson..." you managed to wheeze out. Good God you needed to get into better shape if this -the whole 'helping monsters in heavy armor to their homes after they tried to murder you' thing- was going to become a regular thing that you did. You may have been short, but that didn't mean you had to stay as pudgy as you were!

 

This stray train of thought made you think back to a simpler time. A time where you only had to worry about breakouts of acne and helping the few friends you had because they weren't put off by your position on dating calm down over the fact that they guy they currently liked had done something adorable.

 

You were maybe fifteen at the time; Mom and Dad were gone. Your big brother was raising you. His deaf finance lived with the two of you. 

 

You'd burst through the door crying. You slammed it shut and raced all the way to your bedroom before you slammed that door too.

 

You had no idea why kids wanted to be so mean, or how they could be.

 

_Ugh, would you just **look** at her?_

 

_She's such a fucking fatass._

 

_Disgusting._

 

_Did you see the way she just scarfed down her lunch?_

 

_What a pig._

 

_I heard that her parents committed suicide because she was such a pain in the ass to raise._

 

_How can someone that fat have, like, no boobs?_

 

_What a freak!!!_

 

_Bet her parents faked their deaths just to get away from the disappointment they raised._

 

Kids were mean.

 

End of story.

 

Anyway, it's not imperative to say that you were an emotionally volatile teenager. But you didn't do anything other than cry because of the other children's words. They could have your tears for all you cared.

 

You vowed to never let them have your life. When you grew up, they became nothing more than a handful of bad memories. Things that weren't even worth your time.

 

You snapped out of your gloomy musings when you heard the concerned gasp of Papyrus.

 

"UNDYNE!!!"

 

Your right side suddenly became extremely light, thank you God. Papyrus was now the only one shouldering Undyne, as Gerson was unlocking the door to allow you all inside.

 

"Tem found new friend!"

 

Your legs were tackled into a hug. You were honestly surprised that you weren't knocked down from how exhausted you were.

 

Sure enough, it was Temmie. But she looked different from the last time you saw her a few hours ago.

 

Instead of that blue T-shirt and graduation cap, Temmie was now sporting a red, long-sleeved button up with a black tie and black button up vest. There was a red handkerchief in the vest's pocket. She also had on black slacks with a little hole for her tail to stick out of and a black newsboy cabbie hat perched atop her head.

 

"Temmie is so happy to see new friend! New friend's other friends were getting worried, so Temmie said that Temmie would go looking for new friend! Temmie saw new friend pass by with Undyne! So Tem told new friend's friends!"

 

True to her word, Temmie had brought along Frisk and Charlotte. Both of them were immensely relieved to see you alive and well.

 

"Sissy! You're okay!"

 

This time you _did_ get knocked down.

 

Frisk, who had pounced on you, was quick to get up and look at you in concern as you rose to a sitting position.

 

"I'm so sorry, Sissy! Did I hurt you?!"

 

"No, not really. I'm just tired from fighting Undyne is all. Also I'm all sweaty and gross, too."

 

Charlotte helped you to your feet. Your sore, aching feet.

 

"You most certainly are, Dear. Hmmm... I know you put away the fabric and sewing kit I got before we left Snowdin in your bag, so I should have no trouble whipping some heat friendly outfits for you and Frisk. But, that only solves how you're going to get through Hotland without being overcome by heatstroke. As for a shower... I doubt Undyne would be very happy if you used hers, if she has one, though I honestly don't care about her mood right at this moment due to the fact that she tried to kill you. I don't see why Napstablook would have one, but... Frisk, did you notice if Napstablook had a bathroom or not while you were there?"

 

Frisk nodded.

 

"He did! He had a working shower and everything! He said that he mostly uses it to wash snail shells for the snails at the farm, but I don't think he would mind very much. Or if he did, he wouldn't say anything..."

 

"Right... The poor dear _is_ a bit of a doormat... We'll see if Undyne had one and you'll use it if she does before we bother Napstablook."

 

You nodded tiredly. Honestly you didn't care who's shower you could use as long as you could get rid of the grimy feeling of sweat and dirt off of your person.

 

Temmie was still with you guys because 'icky, gross Aaron' has been hanging near the village as of late and that dude makes her _super_ uncomfortable.

 

Undyne had been splayed out on a bright teal couch near a window. Her one eye was having trouble focusing, but she could see well enough to know that you and Frisk were in her house.

 

"What... What're _you_ doing... Here...?"

 

Ah. So she was still pretty out of it.

 

You were about to snap an answer at her when Gerson of all people piped up.

 

"They're here because _this one_ ," he jerked a thumb in your direction, "Saved your stubborn behind from becoming fried. This nice young man here brought you in and put you down."

 

Undyne shifted her blurry vision to where Gerson was now pointing.

 

"Oh... Hey, Paps... You're here for your one-on-one... Training, right?"

 

"THAT CAN WAIT. YOU ARE NOT WELL RIGHT NOW, UNDYNE. YOU NEED TO GET PROPERLY HYDRATED AND REST UP FOR A FEW DAYS BEFORE TRYING TO DO ANYTHING TOO STRENUOUS!"

 

Undyne rolled her eye, wincing slightly at the mini headache the action caused.

 

"Heh... Usually, _I'm_ the one... That has to tell you that..."

 

Temmie had gotten up on the couch and was pawing softly at Undyne's unkempt hair.

 

"Undyne need a lot of sleep, Tem thinks. Tem help Undyne get better, even if Undyne have lots of muscles. Undyne not gross like Aaron is about muscles, so Tem okay with Undyne's muscles. Also, Tem new friends gonna use Undyne shower. Or bath. Whichever. 'Cause one of Tem new friends saved Undyne. Got it?"

 

Undyne was drifting off.

 

"Sure... Whatever..."

 

Out like a light.

 

Gerson had made himself at home in the kitchen, making what appeared to be soup and some sort of tea.

 

Papyrus had told you that Undyne's bathroom was just off the side of her bedroom before he flung himself out the door.

 

"I'll get to work on your new outfits. Emily, you take a bath first."

 

You weren't about to argue.

 

You had no idea what to expect when you entered Undyne's room...

 

But a room covered _wall to wall_ in anime posters wasn't it.

 

There was even a bodypillow on the bed! Of what character from what anime, you weren't brave enough to find out.

 

There were also a few weapons adorning some of the space on the floor. You had no doubt in your mind that they were the real deal, and stepped over them carefully.

 

There wasn't an actual shower, but there was a tub with a little showerhead attached to it.

 

...the tub was shaped like a fish.

 

You... Got done with your bath in record time.

 

There was a knock on the door.

 

"Emily, I've finished your clothes, I'm leaving them outside the door."

 

"Thank you, Charlotte."

 

You dried off and opened the bathroom door a crack. Just enough to reach down and get the clothes.

 

They were very cute. A blue tank top with a little bee embroidered on the left side. Charlotte had also made you some shorts. They were a bit shorter than regular shorts, but not short enough to be considered short-shorts or hot pants. They were a cream color.

 

No new shoes to go with, so you slipped your boots back on.

 

"Okay, munchkin," you addressed Frisk. "Your turn."

 

Charlotte was sitting at the kitchen table, busy with Frisk's outfit. It almost seemed as if she was moving at Mach 20.

 

She was _really_ good with her hands.

 

"And... There. Done."

 

Frisk's new outfit resembled the one they were already in. Instead of a sweater, they were getting a T-shirt with the same stripped pattern and blue shorts instead of pants. They too would continue wearing their sturdy boots.

 

You heard a loud clanking sound and turned to find that Undyne had woken up again and was attempting to remove her armor.

 

And not having much success.

 

"Oh my God..." you muttered.

 

Damn you and you kind nature that wants to help everyone even if they tried to do something terrible to you! Damn it straight to Hell!!!

 

You stood in front of Undyne and forced her to sit upright.

 

She swatted at you halfheartedly, mumbling about how she could do it herself.

 

You went into the kitchen and rummaged around for a glass, careful not to get in Gerson's way. You found one and filled it with water.

 

"Drink."

 

Undyne tried to push your hand away.

 

"Drink it."

 

"Nuh."

 

"You're dehydrated. Drink. It."

 

"No."

 

She was acting like a child. And she knew it.

 

She was also too out of it to fight you off properly. You may have spilled some, but you got her to drink the glass of water.

 

Undyne's fins perked up right away and began twitching. You sat down next to her and had her instruct you on how to take her armor off.

 

You'd just gotten finished when Gerson came over and put the soup and tea onto the coffee table near the couch.

 

"This has happened more time than she'd like to admit. She can't handle anything but soup and tea until her body readjusts its natural temperature. I know you might not feel too inclined to, but please... Help her get better?"

 

_Damn you, old man...! I don't need anyone's help! Especially not this human's!_

 

You once again cursed your tender heart.

 

"Sure thing, Gerson."

 

The old turtle smiled gratefully before heading out.

 

And thus the road to recovery began to be tread upon.

 

* * *

That's not to say it was easy. Oh no.

 

For several days, Undyne was fighting you three tooth and nail whenever you attempted to help her do anything.

 

"I can do it myself!"

 

"You are literally holding onto the kitchen table because you fell to your knees and can't get up."

 

"Yes I can!!!"

 

"Dear you really can't."

 

"Shut up!!!"

 

"Please just let us help you, Undyne!"

 

"NNNNGGGGAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

 

It took two weeks before Undyne could walk around on her own.

 

"HA!!! See?!?! I _told_ you three I could do it!!!"

 

"Yes and it only took you two weeks."

 

"Shut up!!!"

 

Yeah...

 

You were still upset with her.

 

Nearly a month into it was when Undyne finally got better.

 

And it was also when she attempted to make amends for her actions.

 

Charlotte had made you another outfit, similar to Frisk's to face the heat of Hotland when you expressed your embarrassment over how much skin showed. So now you had a solid blue T-shirt and regular length shorts. The shorts still stayed a cream color.

 

Undyne was watching the three of you pack your things up. She was feeling conflicted.

 

Sure, you had only helped her because Gerson asked you to. But you _could've_ said no and let the old geezer take care of her.

 

Undyne had come to view the three of you in a new light. You and the br- Er. Frisk. You and Frisk weren't putting on some sort of act. You were genuinely nice people. And Charlotte was following the two of you around because she _wanted_ to, not because she _had_ to.

 

Undyne had been reflecting on the words she had said to you when the two of you fought.

 

She...

 

Felt like a complete ass.

 

She also felt like it would be quite a while before you even considered forgiving her.

 

So Undyne came up with the only solution she was sure would get the ball rolling. In what direction, she couldn't say.

 

"Let me give you a cooking lesson."

 

"...what."

 

You were giving her this dead stare.

 

"You know... A cooking lesson!"

 

"Why."

 

"Because-! Because I'm a complete and utter fu-" Undyne glanced down at Frisk. "Fu- Fudging, bullheaded chick that's why!!! My passion bubbles at the surface, so whenever I get excited about something, my emotions run wild!!! I'm not asking you to forgive me for what I've said and done!!! I'm just asking you to let me try and make it up to you one of the only ways I know how!!!"

 

She wasn't going to give this up, was she?

 

"...ugh. Fine."

 

"GREAT!!!"

 

She grabbed your hand and pulled you over to the counter.

 

"We'll make spaghetti!!! It's- Well it's really the only think I actually have ingredients for."

 

"Papyrus?"

 

"Papyrus."

 

Papyrus and his love for spaghetti.

 

Undyne pulled out the veggies you'd use for the sauce.

 

"Okay! Picture the vegetables as your greatest enemy and strike with all your might!!"

 

You really weren't feeling up for this nonsense right now. You tapped a tomato. It fell over. Wait, tomatoes are fruits. Why is this mixed in with the vegetables.

 

"YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!"

 

Wow okay she wasn't kidding about that passion thing.

 

In fact, Undyne was so enthused that she destroyed the ingredients in one fell punch.

 

She got vegetable paste all over the counter; thankfully none hit you.

 

"Alright! Next is the noodles! Homemade noodles always taste the best, but I get store brand because they're the cheapest!!!"

 

She's not wrong.

 

Undyne shoved a box of noodles into your hands. You dumped the content into a pot. They clanked as they entered.

 

Wait where was the water?

 

"Now we stir!!!"

 

This is not at all how one is supposed to make spaghetti!!!

 

Undyne summoned a spear and all but obliterated the pot.

 

"Uhhh..."

 

"...whoops. Oh well, it doesn't matter!!! Now we have to turn up the heat!!!"

 

Undyne cranked the heat up to the highest setting... And kept turning it up? Oh God.

 

The pot was slowly beginning to catch fire now.

 

"HOTTER!!! IT NEEDS TO BE HOTTER, C'MON!!!"

 

The dull flame had turned into a mighty blaze.

 

"Wait, maybe that's too-"

 

The pot exploded.

 

Smoke and flames were al you could see. And Undyne. Covered in soot.

 

"...welp. So, what's next on the agenda to try and make it up to you? Scrapbooking? Friendship bracelets? ...oh, who am I trying to kid? I _really_ messed this one up."

 

"Ya think?"

 

She turned to you.

 

"I honestly wanted to have the chance of you forgiving me. I've come to respect you and the totally wimpy way you live life. I... Kinda wanted to be your friend, too?" She looked sheepish. "But... Let's be honest. There's really no way that you'd ever forgive me. And if there was, it would take a long time, probably. So, if we can't ever be friends..."

 

Oh no.

 

"Then that means that I don't have to feely bad about destroying you!!!"

 

Really?! A fight?! Right now as your home burn to the ground Undyne?!

 

"My home's in shambles, my pride's been skewered... And what's worse is that I may never be able to befriend you... So here we go! One last fight! Come at me with everything you've got!"

 

*** She's letting you make the first move, Emily.**

 

You could feel your rage building. Really? _This_ is her answer to you not forgiving her? To fight you again?

 

You take a deep breath, reel back your hand into a fist...

 

And _punch_ Undyne square in the face. It actually sends her sprawling.

 

**Undyne's HP: 1499/1500**

 

With monsters, it's all about intent.

 

And you stated a month ago when she had first tried to fight you, that you wouldn't fight her.

 

That you wouldn't _hurt_ her.

 

Undyne looked at you from her position on the floor. Her face held a stunned expression for a moment before it split into a grin.

 

"Aha... Ahahaha... AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Oh man!!! Even when going full force, you can't bring yourself to hurt me?!?! That's..." Undyne rose to her feet. "That's funny..." She dropped the spear she'd been holding. "Because I don't want to hurt you either."

 

Undyne ends the fight, flings you over her shoulder, and dashed out the door of the burning home. Charlotte and Frisk were waiting anxiously for your emergence. Charlotte more than Frisk.

 

Undyne set you down.

 

"Damn! The whole place is burning up!!!"

 

"THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU START A FIRE YOU CRAZY FISH," is heard in the distance. Seems as though Maddie, who had been Undyne's personal training dummy, had fled the scene. He turned out to be a okay guy, once you got past his tough shell.

 

Undyne was on the phone with Papyrus, explaining what had happened. Apparently, to no one's surprise, this had happened before.

 

"Well, I'm off to Snowdin to crash with Papyrus and Sans for a bit!!! And hey..." She put her hand on your shoulder. "Don't think I didn't see that. You _hesitated_ right before you swung at me. I think that you and I are gonna be _besties_. With a little bit of time of course!!!"

 

And she was off, cackling all the while. You think you know why Papyrus does that now.

 

"So..."

 

"That was an experience."

 

"You said it, Sissy."

 

You honestly had no idea how to respond to what had just happened. So! With boggled mind and bag somewhat heavy, you resumed your journey through the Underground.

 

What has it been, like five months since you fell down here?

 

Jesus Christ.

 

And you still called Toriel every day.


	14. Look Ma, I'm On TV!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wonder if all TV show actors feel the anxiety you're feeling. Probably not, considering that the majority of them aren't putting their lives on the line!!!
> 
> Alphys is Alphys.
> 
> Mettaton is Mettaton.
> 
> Not a lot of dialogue in this one.
> 
> Also, distressed Papyrus is distressed.
> 
> And Tiny is there for emotional support. But for who? Eh. You probably already know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to ring in the new year! Last year sure was... Something. Yes that seems like a safe word to use. Something. In other news, I just got my wisdom teeth removed a few days ago and my mouth is sore like you would not BELIEVE. Unless you've had yours removed. In which case you probably do. I'm just glad I only had three of them.
> 
> But yeah! New year, new adventures to have! Also, new chapters to write! I'm so pleased with all the feedback you all have been giving me on this story and I hope that you will continue to comment on it and let me know of any ways that I could improve in my writing!
> 
> That being said, Happy New Year everybody! I wish you all luck in the coming year and hope that it's filled with nothing but good things for all of you!
> 
> Now, onto the chapter!!!

" -and that's how Undyne's house burned down."

 

_"Goodness! You are unharmed I trust?"_

 

You sighed out a laugh.

 

"Yes, Mom. I'm fine. And even though I don't forgive her for what she tried to do yet, I can tell that Undyne was making a serious effort to try and apologize for it. Honestly, once you get past her gruff exterior, as little as I have, she's not so bad. Of course, I probably will be a little sore about the whole 'trying to kill me and Frisk' thing for a while."

 

_"I certainly don't blame you for being so. But... I can understand why this Undyne girl would be so adamant on obtaining your souls. After all..."_

 

"...they just need one more. Mom?"

 

_"Yes, my child?"_

 

"If- If it comes down to a point where it's either me or Frisk... I'm going to sacrifice my soul."

 

_"Emily-!"_

 

"Please listen. I may not have lived very long in comparison to most people. Frisk has lived for even less longer than I have. I want to be able to give them the chance to live a long, happy life. Even... Even if it costs me my own. I haven't told them or Charlotte this. I have a good idea about how they would both react."

 

You heard Toriel let out a shuddering breath.

 

_"I-"_

 

"I'm not asking you to agree with my decision. I'm not even asking you to support it. But... I just wanted you to know that that's what I intend to do if there's no other option. I wouldn't want you to be left wondering if I was slaughtered or if my soul had been given to the king willingly. I love you, Mom. This is the home stretch."

 

_"...that it is, Emily. I love you, too. I wish..."_

 

"Don't wish. You'll spend forever wondering about what might've been. Trust me. It's not something you want to have plaguing your thoughts."

 

The two of you said your goodbyes and hung up. You jogged a little to catch up to where Charlotte and Frisk were waiting for you.

 

"So what'd you have to tell Mom?"

 

You looked at Frisk for a second before snapping your gaze back to in front of you.

 

"Oh, just our latest misadventure involving the destruction of personal property, that's all. She was pretty worried when I got to that part of the story."

 

"I'd imagine so. Toriel was always a reclusive woman. Always kept herself shut away, as if she was afraid of something. That something might hurt her."

 

You looked at Charlotte.

 

"Like what?"

 

"I... Don't exactly know. But she was very secretive. Well, she seemed to be that way until you two properly introduced us to one another."

 

Charlotte clearly didn't have any answers, so you didn't try and press her for any.

 

Toriel had obviously had a life before you and Frisk fell down. What that life was like, you couldn't say.

 

All you knew was that she had cared for each child that had fallen before you two, and had to watch as they marched onwards towards their deaths. Maybe that was why she shut herself away? To keep people from seeing her grieve?

 

Maybe.

 

But this was just pure speculation on your part.

 

You felt the temperature begin to rise. You were close to Hotland once more.

 

"Phew!! Even with the appropriate clothes, this place is still pretty hot!"

 

"You said it, Sissy."

 

Charlotte just stood there, unaffected.

 

"I wish the two of you didn't have to suffer. But there's not really anything that I can do."

 

You crossed the bridge where Undyne had collapsed and you and Frisk each got a cup of water to drink. You tossed the cups into the nearby recycle bin.

 

Up ahead was a large building with the word 'LAB' painted onto it. To your left were what you assumed were members of the Royal Guard, blocking the way to an elevator. When Charlotte inquired about passage, the rabbit guard had to regretfully tell her no.

 

"Like, sorry brosis. We're under orders to, like, keep watch for humans. So, like, no one gets to use the elevator. Sorry, I know that's, like, a total bummer."

 

"No I understand. You two are simply doing your jobs! No need to be sorry."

 

You didn't bother travelling to the south of the guards, odds were it was another dead end.

 

Into the lab it was.

 

_**You're about to meet the Royal Scientist. You know, the person Undyne has this huge crush on.** _

 

You wondered just what kind of person the Royal Scientist was to have garnered Undyne's attention.

 

It was pleasantly cool when you entered the laboratory.

 

It was also fairly dark.

 

You and Frisk stuck close to Charlotte, as she was the only clear source of light at the moment.

 

The lights flickered on suddenly and you could hear voices coming from up ahead.

 

"-really sorry that I can't help you with your sudden growth spurt! I w-wish I c-could explain it!"

 

A yellow, reptilious monster that reminded you of MK, sort of, rounded the corner.

 

"That's fine, Alphys. I knew it was a long shot, but you're the smartest person I know so I had... To ask..."

 

Another monster rounded the corner, she was a great deal taller than 'Alphys' was. She had three eyes that had been focused on Alphys, but were now solely trained on you and your group.

 

Your head hurt when you looked at her. Almost as if your brain was trying really hard to get you to remember.

 

"T-Tiny? What's the m-matter? Do you s-see-"

 

Alphys stopped speaking the moment her eyes fell onto your group.

 

"Oh. My God."

 

Alphys began sputtering incoherently about not being properly dressed and not showering yet but you weren't really paying attention to her at the moment.

 

No you were paying attention to the _other_ individual that felt the need to get up in your face and squish it with her hands.

 

"Ummm..."

 

The lady's pupils got really wide and sparkly, kind of like they do in anime.

 

"You're... Really here..."

 

"Yesh?"

 

She let go of your face and began jumping up and down excitedly.

 

"Oh my gosh I can't believe it's really you! You're really here!!! You crazy human! I've been waiting to see you for a long long time now!!!"

 

"That's... Great and all... But what's your name?"

 

She stopped jumping.

 

"Huh?"

 

"Your name. What is it?"

 

"Oh. Um. Right, of course you wouldn't know that... Ahem. My name's Tinnirius Starbomber. But call me Tiny, everyone does! I'm the Commander of the Royal Guard! So that makes me second in command! Pleased to meet ya!"

 

And to your utter surprise, Tiny's arm began to elongate until it spelled out the word 'Hi' and she held out her hand.

 

"Well? It's not going to shake itself. Also, this is the part where you three tell use your names now!"

 

You grasped her hand gently.

 

"I'm Emily..."

 

Frisk shook Tiny's hand vigorously.

 

"I'm Frisk!"

 

Charlotte shook Tiny's hand firmly.

 

"Charlotte Sunburst. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. A fair warning to you. Should you even _attempt_ to cause harm to these two-"

 

Tiny shocked Charlotte into silence by bursting out laughing.

 

"AHAHAHAHA!!!! Oh that's so cute!!! You think I'm going to try and hurt them! Nah. Hunting humans might appeal to the Captain, and subsequently everyone else in the Guard, but not me."

 

"Then why are you a member in the first place," you questioned.

 

"THAT," Tiny stated dramatically, pointing one of her three fingers -thumb is not a finger, it's a _thumb_ \- in your face. "Is an excellent question. The answer to which is that... Well, there's not much else one can do around here."

 

Alphys was still muttering to herself.

 

"Oh, guess I should snap her out of that." Tiny walked over to Alphys, picked her up by the shoulders, and shook her gently. "Alphys, Al, Allie, snap out of it!"

 

Tiny stopped shaking Alphys and set her down. The woman in question was now taking deep breaths.

 

"Th-thank you, Tiny." Alphys turned to look at you sheepishly. "Umm... H-h-h-hi-y-y-ya! I-I-I-I'm-m-m Doctor Alph-ph-phys."

 

You noticed that her stutter had gotten immensely worse once she began addressing you. Maybe she has a natural speech impediment and it's worse with strangers and better with people she knows well?

 

"I-I-I'm-m Asgore's R-R-Roya-a-a-a-al Sc-scient-i-i-i-i-s-s-st! B-b-b-but, ahhhh, I-I-I-I'm-m-m-m n-n-not one of th-the 'b-b-b-b-a-a-ad guys-s-s-s'! A-actually-y-y, s-s-since you stepped ou-ou-out o-o-o-f th-th-the Ruins, I-I-I've, um..."

 

Tiny placed her hands on Alphys' shoulders gently.

 

"She had a bunch of security cameras set up a while ago to monitor all of the areas of the Underground that she could reach. She's been watching you three from the moment you all stepped out of the Ruins! ...now that I stop to think about it, that sound pretty creepy. I mean, she just had them installed for monitoring; she never expected to see a human! She was really excited when she called me about it. But, yeah. She's been watching your journey from nearly the beginning! That's what you were going to say, right Alphys?"

 

"Y-yes... S-s-s-s-sorry-y-y-y-y i-i-i-if th-th-that's-s-s-s c-c-c-creepy-y-y..."

 

It was a little bit, but it's not like the cameras were set up to watch you _specifically_.

 

"A-a-a-a-actually-y-y-y... I w-w-was-s-s-s o-o-originally g-going to s-s-s-s-stop y-y-y-y-you, b-b-b-but..."

 

"When you watch someone on a screen for a while, it really makes you root for them if they act like a hero! ...or at least a decent person!"

 

"Y-y-yeah..."

 

Alphys was flushed slightly red. But she also looked relieved whenever Tiny would take over the talking.

 

"So, now she wants to help you through the rest of your journey! Isn't that right, Alphys?"

 

"Y-y-y-yeah! I c-c-could easily g-g-g-g-guide y-y-y-y-you th-th-th-through Hotland w-w-w-with m-m-my knowledge!"

 

"She knows a way right to Asgore's castle! You'll reach it no problem! ...right?"

 

"...w-w-w-well... Ac-ac-actually-y-y-y, umm, th-th-th-there's just a s-s-s-s-small, errr, i-i-i-issue..."

 

"...define 'small issue,' Al."

 

"A-a-a-a long t-t-t-time ago, I m-m-m-made a r-r-r-rob-b-b-b-b-b-bot n-n-n-named Mettaton."

 

Oh dear God. No.

 

NO.

 

"I h-h-h-had originally-y-y-y-y b-b-b-b-built him t-t-t-t-to-o-o-o-o b-b-b-be an entertainment r-r-r-robot. Y-y-y-y-you kn-kn-kn-know... L-l-l-like a r-robotic celebrity... Or something."

 

"And what did you do to Mettaton that would warrant him to be this 'small issue?'

 

"I m-m-m-may have installed s-some, ah... Anti... Anti-human combat features?"

 

Alphys' attention was solely on Tiny at the moment. That confirms it for you, stutter isn't as noticeable when around people she's comfortable with. The scientist snapped her eyes back to you.

 

"Of c-c-c-course, wh-wh-when I s-s-s-s-s-saw you c-c-c-c-c-c-coming, I immediately-y-y-y-y-y decided... Th-th-th-that I had t-t-t-t-to re-re-remove th-th-those features! Unf-f-f-f-f-fortunately-y-y-y-y, I m-m-m-may have m-m-m-m-made a... _Teensy_ m-m-m-mistake while d-d-d-doing so."

 

Tiny hung her head as she squatted down to Alphys' height.

 

"Dear God, Allie. What did you _do_?"

 

"He _m-m-may_ be an uns-s-s-s-stoppable k-killing m-m-machine with a th-thirst f-f-f-for human b-b-blood? Ehehehehe... Heh."

 

Tiny was laying on her side, groaning.

 

"Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?"

 

"But! U-u-u-ummm, h-h-h-hopefully-y-y-y w-w-w-we w-w-won't run into h-h-him!"

 

Why did she have to say that? Now you _most definitely **were**_ going to run into Mettaton.

 

You were not looking forward to that encounter.

 

AS IF BY MAGIC, a loud, metal clanging sound was heard almost immediately after Alphys stated that.

 

"...?"

 

Another clanging sound.

 

"D-d-d-did y-y-y-you hear s-s-s-something?"

 

The clanging sound was getting closer and more rapid.

 

"Oh no."

 

The room was engulfed with a bright, white light.

 

"OHHHH YES!"

 

NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO.

 

NO.

 

"Welcome, beauties..."

 

A single spotlight lit, exposing the vending machine from Hell itself.

 

"...to today's quiz show!!!"

 

Confetti rained down as two strobe light balls illuminated where you and Frisk were standing, as well as where Alphys was standing and Tiny was assuming the fetal position. Charlotte inched into the light bit by bit.

 

"Oh boy! I can already tell it's gonna be a great show! Everyone give a big hand for our wonderful contestants!"

 

Mettaton clapped and confetti rained down upon you and Frisk. Charlotte was standing a bit behind the two of you and didn't get any on her.

 

Mettaton pivoted himself a bit until he was facing you.

 

"Never played before, Gorgeous? No problem! It's simple! There's only one rule. Answer correctly..."

 

All of Mettaton's face panels turned red.

 

"... _or you die!!!_ "

 

Great.

 

 _Another_ confrontation.

 

_Chara, what's this guy's angle?_

 

_**Well, he'll ask you a question. If you answer correctly, you move on to another question without taking any damage. If you answer incorrectly, Mettaton will attack you. You won't have a chance to dodge, and he'll cut your HP in half. His defense is 999. Just... Pay attention to Alphys. She'll show you the correct answer with her hands. As for Tiny... I don't really know. She's never been here before when Frisk faced Mettaton.** _

 

_So a wildcard, basically._

 

_**Yep. Speaking of which, looks like she's getting up now.** _

 

And indeed she was.

 

Tiny staggered tiredly to her feet.

 

"So we're really doing this, huh?"

 

Mettaton tutted at her.

 

" _I'll_ be asking the questions here, Sweetie! And remember, no helping out the contestants!"

 

Yeah. Alphys broke that rule.

 

Thanks to her, you got every question right.

 

Except for the 'Would you smooch a ghost' question. She just gave Mettaton a weird look. So you responded to the question by asking if you had to answer if you'd already done what was being asked. Mettaton stared at you a good long moment before resuming the quiz.

 

In the distance, you could have sworn you heard the noises an embarrassed Napstablook makes.

 

"Well, well, well~! Aren't the two of you just a pair of smarty-pants? Time to bring out the big guns then!!! In the dating simulation video game "Mew Mew Kissy Cutie" what is Mew Mew's favorite food?"

 

He's joking... Right? Not that you don't know the answer! But... The question seems out of place compared to the previous ones. It's almost as if...

 

_He knows Alphys is helping._

 

It's obvious she's a fan, just look at her pajamas!!!

 

"OH! OH! I KNOW THIS ONE!!! IT'S SNAIL ICE CREAM!!!!!!!! IN THE FOURTH CHAPTER EVERYONE GOES TO THE BEACH!!! AND SHE BUYS ICE CREAM FOR ALL OF HER FRIENDS!!!! BUT IT'S SNAIL FLAVOR AND SHE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO WANTS IT!!!!!! IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF THE GAME BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY A VERY POWERFUL message about friendship and..."

 

Alphys had come to a complete halt in her fangirl rant when she noticed Mettaton waggling his finger out from the corner of her eye.

 

"Alphys, Alphys, Alphys~. You aren't helping out our contestants, _are you?_ Ooooooh~! You should have told me, you naughty girl~! I suppose I simply _must_ ask a question that you'll be _certain_ to know the answer to~!"

 

Mettaton pivoted a little so that he was facing you again.

 

"Of _course_ you two darlings can participate with this final question as well~! Now as for the question in question... Who does Doctor Alphys have a crush on~? Oooooh~! Juicy gossip~! My favorite."

 

Alphys was visibly sweating and shaking her head and hands as if to say that she wasn't interested in answering the question. Tiny was glaring heatedly at Mettaton. You could have sworn you saw her face flash red as well as her pupils, and that the space in her eyes surrounding her pupils turned pitch black, but only for a short moment before Tiny crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Mettaton.

 

You... Probably weren't going to get this question correct. You didn't know Alphys at all! You'd literally just met her a few minutes ago! Plus, what if you guessed correctly? You didn't want to embarrass the poor woman on television like that! You didn't want to embarrass her at all!

 

"It's Undyne! Alphys likes Undyne," Frisk interjected.

 

Alphys got extremely red in the face and buried her face in her hands to muffle her frustrated screaming.

 

Mettaton threw the paper with the questions on it to the side.

 

"You're absolutely correct, cutiepie~!!!! Yes indeed, the good doctor fancies the Captain! She writes her name in the margins of her notes, she names programs after her... She even writes stories about the two of them sharing a domesticated life together~!!!"

 

"Please... Someone... K-k-k-kill me now..."

 

Alphys was muttering to herself again while Tiny rubbed her back comfortingly. The taller of the two women was thinking of ways to dispose of Mettaton without raising too much suspicion.

 

"Well, well, well~! With Doctor Alphys helping you two beauties out... The show has no dramatic tension whatsoever! We simply _cannot_ go on like this! But. But!!! This was just the pilot episode, my lovely viewers!! Next time, more drama! More romance!!! And even more bloodshed!!! Until we meet again next time, Darlings~! Toodles~!!!"

 

And then Mettaton's arms and wheel retracted and he... Flew away through a skylight...

 

The robot menace may have fled the scene, but Alphys was still a muttering mess.

 

"Hey, hey! Look on the brightside! You know that Undyne _hates_ watching Mettaton's shows! So there's no way she saw what just went down!

 

* * *

_Snowdin Town, approximately twenty minutes ago..._

 

"COME ON, UNDYNE!!! METTATON MADE IT CLEAR LAST WEEK THAT THIS NEW EPISODE WOULD BE EXTRA SPECIAL!!!"

 

Papyrus was bouncing up and down on the couch excitedly. His idol -well, everyone's idol here in the Underground- was about to debut a 'very special installment' of his most recent show, _Keeping Up With Mettaton._ The skeleton couldn't be more enthusiastic if he tried, and believe him he tried very hard to be enthusiastic about everything!

 

Mettaton had only been created very recently, almost a year ago, by the brilliant Doctor Alphys. In fact, Mettaton's debut was on Papyrus' twenty-first birthday. Oh that had been such a treat! There was never much on television to watch. Usually it was just news updates on things happening in the Capital. Everyone had to make due with the discarded DVDs that were found in the Dump if they wanted to watch something else. But from the moment that the spotlight illuminated Mettaton's form for the very first time, nearly everyone in the Underground -Papyrus especially- was hooked on the Underground's one and only star.

 

"I'm coming, Paps!"

 

Undyne walked out of the downstairs guest bedroom. Well, more like she walked up and out. The guest room was actually underneath the house in the basement. She'd honestly been surprised to find that she wouldn't have to sleep on the couch while her house was being repaired this time. But she'd been even _more_ surprised -shocked would be a better word to describe what she felt- when she found out that it wasn't Papyrus that had repaired the desolated room like she had originally thought.

 

No. It had been _Sans_ who had fixed the room up. Sans. The guy that everyone would always catch sleeping during his shifts. The guy that told horrendously bad jokes to get under his little brother's lack of skin. The guy that _drank ketchup from the bottle in plain view of everyone._ Him. That guy. He fixed it up.

 

Undyne still didn't quite believe it, but Papyrus would never lie to her or anyone for that matter. Plus, the sweet skeleton man was always known for giving credit where it was due.

 

Still, both she and Papyrus agreed that it was _extremely_ out of character for Sans to do something so strenuous without an incentive or some form of motivation.

 

"HURRY UNDYNE! IT'S ALMOST TIME!!!"

 

Undyne rolled her one good eye in annoyance. Not at Papyrus though. At the thought of having to sit through one of that vain as _fuck_ tin can's programs.

 

Undyne had been the very first person Alphys introduced Mettaton to. One would think the scientist would have taken her creation to the king straight away, but no. Undyne was the first one to be privy to what Alphys had accomplished. And if Undyne was being completely honest...

 

She didn't much care to be near that guy for very long. Don't get her wrong, Mettaton could be a very nice person when he wanted to be, or when he wanted _something_. But he was always trying to give her _helpful_ -and she uses the word loosely- tips on how to make herself look stunning.

 

Undyne knew that she was no beauty queen, but she took pride in the way she looked _naturally_! Don't try to fix something if it ain't broke; she's pretty sure that's how the saying goes.

 

The warrior woman plopped her ass on the couch next to Papyrus.

 

"THERE YOU ARE! NOW ALL WE NEED IS SANS! SANS!!! COME DOWN HERE! METTATON'S ABOUT TO REVEAL HIS NEWEST SEGMENT!"

 

The door to the oldest skeleton brother's room creaked open before being shut again. Sans trudged down the stairs, looking as tired as ever.

 

Undyne was honestly worried about his health. Monsters didn't get sick the way humans got sick, but they could still get sick. How though, varied. But all ways a monster could fall ill had one thing in common: magic.

 

If a monster had drained their magic supply dry, they could get extremely sick if they didn't take care of the problem right away and get some food in them. Most monsters that didn't, got real sick real fast, and a lot of them Fell Down because of it. If a monster has too much magic stored up, they could also get extremely sick, but there's no chance -or at least no record of- a monster would Fall Down because of excess magic. Rather, it would be similar to a human 'cold' and the monster would be bedridden for several days, needing to drink plenty of fluids and eat lightly. The excess magic would burn off after a few days of this.

 

There are many other ways a monster could get sick, but Undyne wasn't sure if Sans actually _was_ getting sick, or if he was just that tired all the time. 

 

Sans sat down in the plump reclining chair next to the couch and Papyrus unmuted the television. A commercial from one of Mettaton's many products - that didn't do anything- was just ending.

 

"SHHHHHHH!!!!!! IT'S STARTING!!!!"

 

The screen was pitch black, no sound was coming out of the speakers. Undyne wondered for a moment if the television had decided that it had endured enough Mettaton in its life until-

 

_"OHHHH YES!"_

 

God he could be loud!

 

_"Welcome, beauties..."_

 

There he was, in all his vain, metal-y glory.

 

Mettaton.

 

_"...to today's quiz show!!!"_

 

Undyne was _not_ expecting to see you three appear on Mettaton's show.

 

"OH MY GOD! IT'S EMILY, FRISK, AND CHARLOTTE!"

 

Wait, was that Alphys?

 

Undyne felt her face heat up a little a her soul pounded a bit.

 

It sucked when your soulmate was someone who was _totally_ out of your league.

 

Wait, who else was there? She looked familiar, but Undyne couldn't place her-

 

"Holy shit, Tiny?!?!"

 

"SWEAR JAR!!!"

 

"No no no! I mean, I will put the gold in the jar, don't worry. But see that chick?! The one with the pink and green hair! That's Tiny!"

 

"WHO?"

 

Undyne felt like slapping herself in the face.

 

"Tiny. Tinnirius Starbomber? The Commander of the Royal Guard? My second in command? She used to be really short, like up to a little above my knee. I know you've seen her before! Remember that time you came over for training and I was just wrapping up with someone and I got thrown into the ground?"

 

Recognition lit Papyrus' eyesockets.

 

"OH! HER! I DO RECALL HER. SHE MADE AN UNDYNE SHAPED HOLE IN YOUR YARD THAT YOU COVERED UP WITH THAT MAT THAT THAT INCREDIBLY RUDE DUMMY WAS PLACED UPON!" Papyrus returned his attention to the television, oh the quiz show had already started. "WOWIE... SHE SURE LOOKS DIFFERENT."

 

"She sure does."

 

_"Next question, Darling~! Would you smooch a ghost?"_

 

Undyne noted that Alphys looked very put off by this question, eyes narrowed and all. She didn't blame her.

 

Undyne -along with being the first person that Mettaton was introduced to upon his body's creation- was also the only one that knew what was _really_ inside that overgrown calculator.

 

Sure, it _looked_ like Alphys had made an artificial human soul and placed it into a lifeless body...

 

But the souls of ghosts had always looked like human souls, for whatever reason.

 

Undyne never told anyone that Alphys had been unsuccessful in her attempt to make an artificial soul, and she wouldn't unless Alphys wanted her to. Alphys was smart. The Underground _needed_ someone like her ever since the previous Royal Scientist vanished six years ago.

 

...it was weird that no one remembered anything about the guy, right?

 

 _"Uh..."_ Oh, that was you speaking. _"Do I have to answer the question if I've already done what's being asked?"_

 

Oh man! You kissed Napstablook? At least, that's who Undyne assumed you were talking to. You probably wouldn't kiss Maddie and his cousin hadn't been around in a while. And you hadn't met Mettaton until now, so...

 

Undyne heard a barely audible screechy noise and looked to her left.

 

Sans was subtly grinding his teeth.

 

Now why would he do that? Yeah, she knew you two were friends from the way Sans talked about you, but why would he be upset about you kissi-

 

Oh.

 

OH.

 

OHOHOHOHOHOHOHO~!!!!!!

 

Undyne's face split into a smug grin.

 

So, the lazyass had a thing for her future bestie, hmmmm?

 

She totally shipped it. She also wondered briefly if you were Sans' soulmate, hey, she believed anything was possible if you tried hard enough!!!

 

Undyne had to cringe when Mettaton asked that question about Mew Mew Kissy Cutie. Metal bastard _knew_ Alphys was helping you out.

 

And then her face broke out into a deep green flush.

 

_"It's Undyne! Alphys likes Undyne!"_

 

_"You're absolutely correct, cutiepie~!!!! Yes indeed, the good doctor fancies the Captain! She writes her name in the margins of her notes, she names programs after her... She even writes stories about the two of them sharing a domesticated life together~!!!"_

 

Undyne just sat there in a daze for a moment or two.

 

Alphys liked her.

 

Alphys liked her?

 

Alphys _liked_ her?

 

 _Alphys_ liked _her?_

 

Undyne sprung up from the couch and suplexed it with Papyrus still on it.

 

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"

 

Undyne was excited, Papyrus was distressed.

 

"NYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

 

Sans was still grinding his teeth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if any of you find the way I write Alphys annoying. A friend of mine was reading over my shoulder as I typed her out and wanted to know -and I quote- 'What the Hell are you writing her like that for? She's not that stuttery in game! Do you need me to pull up her dialogue to prove it?' I /know/ hoe she is in game. But I'm trying to project a small headcannon onto her. Another friend of mine has a relative whose got a speech impediment like the one I'm writing Alphys with. They're fine with family and friends, it's barely noticeable; but when it's with strangers or people they don't know very well, it gets a whole lot worse.
> 
> That's why Alphys was talking pretty okay with Tiny, because she knows her well enough to be comfortable around her.
> 
> Also, Mettaton was not written in all caps because I feel like Papyrus is the only character that should be written in all caps until he learns to use his 'inside voice.' Besides, Mettaton EX isn't in all caps, so I'm not doing it for box Mettaton either.


	15. Obligatory Friendship Hangout!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time waits for no one and neither does Papyrus!
> 
> Unless he's asked nicely, of course.
> 
> Last time we saw our heroes, the had to face off against the dastardly handsome- read: obnoxiously vain- Mettaton in a battle of wits and really weird questions. You know. Because it was a quiz show.
> 
> Tiny was brought back into the story after months of ducking into and out of Darkland- excuse me- The Void to get checkups about her sudden growth spurt from Doctor Alphys, who, unfortunately, was a stuttering, nervous wreck last chapter.
> 
> Now, Papyrus wants to hang out, probably to ask you what it was like to be on one of Mettaton's many shows.
> 
> But why does he want Tiny to come with? Undyne's doing maybe?
> 
> Sans? What do you mean by [REDACTED]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. I want to start this off by apologizing for being away for so long. It's taken a lot longer to readjust to being back in school than I thought it would. Not to mention the work I've had to do in all my classes. Things have gotten easier to handle over these last few weeks, so I think- read: hope- that I'll be able to get into a somewhat regular update schedule. I know that there's a good amount of you that are really invested in this story and have been eagerly awaiting this update. I'm so sorry for the delay and I hope that you like it.

_Back at the laboratory..._

 

Alphys was breathing heavily into and out of a paper bag that Tiny handed to her.

 

"Don't worry," Tiny said reassuringly, "She gets like this sometimes. With or without Mett's help."

 

'Mett'?

 

Obviously Tiny was more than just an acquaintance to Mettaton. But he treated her almost like a complete stranger. Granted he _was_ in the middle of his show, but that didn't stop him from poking fun at Alphys, his _creator._

 

Maybe stardom went to his probably glitter-filled processor and he doesn't think that anyone but Alphys- seeing as she's really the only one who could keep him in working order- was really worth being friends with.

 

You use the word 'friends' loosely.

 

Charlotte, meanwhile, was giving Frisk a stern talking to.

 

"I know you didn't mean any real harm by saying what you did. However, it has caused Miss Alphys a great deal of distress, and Mettaton affirming and basically making a big joke out of it on live television does not help the situation at all. Now, seeing as how you couldn't have possibly known about who it was that Alphys fancied, I suppose that we could let this slide. But don't think we've forgotten about you running away from us in Waterfall, a punishment for that still has yet to be doled out."

 

Frisk hung their head a bit.

 

_'Yes, Aunt Charlotte. I understand. I'm sorry.'_

 

Charlotte's intense gaze softened and she leaned down to hold the ashamed looking child.

 

"There, there. All is forgiven. Emily and I care so much about you, Dearest. Please never doubt that."

 

Frisk wrapped their arms around Charlotte's neck and looked over her shoulder at you.

 

They winked and stuck their tongue out at you.

 

You smirked.

 

Smug little squirt.

 

The once heavy breathing coming from the distraught woman behind you was gradually slowing down to a halt.

 

"I th-th-th-think I-I-I-I'm g-good, Tiny."

 

"You sure?"

 

Alphys nodded sharply.

 

"P-positive."

 

Everyone just stood in place, relishing the calm quiet accompanied by the steady beeping of several pieces of machinery.

 

And then your phone rang, shattering the tranquility of it all.

 

"Sorry!"

 

You picked up, not noticing how Alphys' eyes gleamed at the sight of your phone.

 

"Hello?"

 

_"HELLO EMILY!!!"_

 

You ripped the phone away from your now ringing ear.

 

"Ow."

 

You rubbed your abused ear until the ringing stopped and placed the phone tentatively near it.

 

"Hi Papyrus. Need something? Actually, I meant to ask the last time you called, how'd you get my phone number?"

 

_"OH THAT'S EASY! I SIMPLY ASKED FRISK FOR IT AFTER I DIALED EACH NUMBER SEQUENTIALLY UNTIL I GOT THEIR'S!!! AS FOR YOUR FIRST INQUIRY... YES INDEED I DO REQUIRE SOMETHING!"_

 

"What is it?"

 

 _"I WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT IF YOU, FRISK, AND CHARLOTTE WOULD STOP BY MY HOUSE RIGHT NOW!"_ You heard muffled noises, like someone had placed their hand on the phone's mouthpiece. _"AND IF YOU COULD PLEASE GET MISS TINNIRIUS TO ACCOMPANY YOU, THAT WOULD BE SWELL!"_

 

You had a feeling that he would have watched Mettaton's show, but Tiny's name was never mentioned how did he kn-

 

"Papyrus."

 

_"YES?"_

 

"Is Undyne there with you?"

 

_"YES!"_

 

"And I take it she saw Mettaton's latest episode?"

 

_"BUT OF COURSE! HARDLY ANYONE CAN RESIST METTATON'S CHARMS! IT IS A FEAT EVEN I CANNOT PERFORM!"_

 

"Of course. I'll ask, but I don't know if she'll want to come. Bye Papyrus."

 

_"GOODBYE!!!"_

 

Alphys was hyperventilating again.

 

"OhmyGodUndynesawshesawMettaton'sprogramohGodsheknowsIlikehersheprobablythinksI'mthemostdisgustinglivingbeingonthefaceoftheEarthforwritingstoriesaboutthetwoofustogetherI'llneverlivethisdownI-I-I-I-I- IHAVETOGOTOTHEBATHROOM!!!!"

 

The emotionally distressed woman zoomed back around the corner she and Tiny had rounded a few moments prior and you heard the swooshing noise of a mechanical door opening and shutting.

 

"Welp," Tiny stated, "She's not going to be coming out of there for a while."

 

The silence that engulfed the room was now awkward.

 

"So what did Papyrus want, Sissy?"

 

Thank you, Frisk, for breaking the uncomfortable mood.

 

"Oh! He wanted us to come and visit him in Snowdin. Actually, he also wanted me to ask you to come with, Tiny. But now that I think about it, it's probably because Undyne asked him to."

 

Tiny stared back at you with a blank look in all three of her eyes.

 

"Are you okay?"

 

Tiny was indeed _not_ okay.

 

For one thing, her superior- not that Undyne really ever acted like it- was most likely _pissed_ that she'd missed so much training over the past few months.

 

Not that Tiny was scared of Undyne mind you. She could easily take her with the stat boost her growth spurt had given her.

 

And that was the problem.

 

Undyne would _want_ to fight Tiny when she saw her. The warrior woman _wanted_ to see if Tiny had gotten any stronger because of this.

 

Tiny's very first friend _needed_ to know if she just wasn't up to snuff to be the Captain anymore.

 

Not that Tiny would ever accept the position if Undyne wasn't stronger than her.

 

But that's another story for another day at a different time.

 

Another reason why Tiny was having a miniature internal freak out was that _Papyrus_ was going to be there.

 

Like it or not, he was her Soulmate. And Tiny's soul was all but _demanding_ that she go to him and let his soul figure out that they were meant to be together again.

 

That would be the only thing Tiny would have liked to forget when time turned back again.

 

It's seriously nerve-wracking to know who your supposed to be with and they haven't got a clue!!!

 

This must've been what Sans felt like when he realized that you were his Soulmate. Not that Tiny knew when he figured it out.

 

That thought made her pause.

 

What if he's figured it out again?

 

Tiny's face split into a huge grin.

 

She may not hate Sans, but that didn't mean she wouldn't enjoy watching him squirm and struggle to keep his composure around you.

 

Tiny made up her mind.

 

"Never better, Emily!!! I'd love to come with you to visit your friend!"

 

Charlotte cleared her throat.

 

"Right then. We'd best be off then. It'll be a long walk."

 

Tiny began snickering before it turned into a full on cackle.

 

"What _is_ so humorous?"

 

Tiny had to cough a few times to stop her excess giggles.

 

"N-nothing! Hehehehe... We won't be walking to Snowdin, silly! We'll be taking the boat!"

 

"There's a boat?" You inquired.

 

Tiny turned to you, eyes shimmering like stars.

 

"Mmmhmm! C'mon, I'll show you!"

 

The overly enthusiastic woman grabbed your hand in hers and ran for the door.

 

"Bye Alphys!!!! I'll be back later I'm going to Snowdin with our new friends!!!! I'll bring you back some food or something!!!!"

 

Tiny rushed out the door with you, Charlotte and Frisk following close behind. The mostly monochrome lady darted to the left after a few feet of running.

 

She ran down the path that you had passed over earlier.

 

The farther you went, the steeper the ground became until you were running down a decently sized slope. It got a bit darker, what with no lava in sight. The air got pleasantly cool as well.

 

Tiny suddenly stopped.

 

"Hey, if you got any coats or whatever, I'd suggest you put them on. The boat gets off at the northern most part of Snowdin Town." She gave you a once over. "Your legs'll probably be cold, but nothing too bad. Still, you wouldn't want to walk in all that ice and snow with _no_ cold weather clothes on."

 

You nodded and pulled out the coats that Charlotte had made for you and Frisk from your bag. Okay, seriously. When is this thing going to run out of room?

 

You handed Frisk their coat and they eagerly zipped it up. They may never complain about it, but Snowdin had always been a bit too cold for their liking whenever they traveled the Underground alone.

 

...Frisk just made themself sad.

 

"Oh. And just a heads up. The person running the ferry is a bit... Odd. To people that aren't used to how they are."

 

As Tiny talked, you could see a lone figure up ahead.

 

They were tall... And that was really all you could say about their physical appearance because their body was shrouded by a long, thick cloak.

 

The figure was standing beside a boat with what looked to be the figurehead of a dog at the head of it.

 

As you approached, the figure spoke.

 

"Tra la la~ Greetings. I am the River Man. Or am I the River Woman? Those in the Underground have deemed it fit to refer to me as the Riverperson. But is that correct? Or is it incorrect?"

 

The... 'Riverperson' seemed to glide over to you before they stooped down to look you in the eyes... You think.

 

"What say you? Are your surroundings what they appear to be? Or is there something more to them?"

 

You weren't sure how to answer that; and, thankfully, you didn't have to.

 

"Ugh. You always do this whenever _I_ bring you passengers. You need to stop being intentionally creepy, Mama."

 

'Mama'?

 

The Riverperson stood up straight and looked over to Tiny.

 

"Tra la la~ In the heart that was not a heart, the little life did dwell. Time did pass, the life did grow, that anyone can tell. From the heart that was not a heart, the little life did spring. And so the air was filled, with joy that did ring. Time passed once again, the little life grew. Into a charming young woman, who ripped other hearts in two. The woman, blind to her actions, across the land did travel. But this dear friends, I'm sad to say, is not where her story would unravel. It would be many rising moons and setting suns before her story began. But in the end, I trust, she and happiness will walk hand in hand."

 

That was beautiful...

 

But it didn't make any sense.

 

Tiny sighed. "It's good to see you too, Mama."

 

The Riverperson laughed to... Herself?

 

"I see you're confused. Allow me to explain. This is my Mom. Don't let her make you think otherwise, she likes to play mind games with people is all. And yes. She is a woman. Don't let her make you think otherwise about that, too. She's really cryptic and creepy and never shows her face. Her voice doesn't really sound like it belongs to either gender, which is another reason why it's so hard for other people to tell. Her name is River Water, ironic I know. And I wouldn't change a thing about her if I could."

 

Tiny hugged her mom. River rested her head on her daughter's shoulder.

 

"Tra la la~ Creepy I am not, dear child. But Mother is happy that you love her so. Come, I was eavesdropping. You wish to go to Snowdin. Hop into my boat and I shall take you to your destination."

 

The ride to Snowdin was filled with idle chatter. Typical family related things like River wanting Tiny to visit her more often and Tiny promising to do that. That kind of stuff.

 

Tiny was right, you legs were cold when you arrived to Snowdin.

 

"Bye Mom! Thanks for the lift."

 

"Tra la la~ Stay safe, dear one. And beware, the man who speaks in hands... Is a huge dork."

 

"Mama! It's not nice to talk about him like that!"

 

"Tra la la~ But it's true."

 

Tiny cut the argument with River short when she noticed you and Frisk were freezing.

 

The walk to the skeleton brother's house was short.

 

When you arrived, Charlotte knocked on the door and you four waited.

 

Not for very long though. You heard a loud commotion and a muffled 'No, I'll get it!' come from behind the closed door.

 

Said door was flung open by a familiar happy face.

 

"GREETINGS FRIENDS! IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO SEE YOU! COME RIGHT ON IN!!!"

 

You all stomped your feet onto the rug in front of the door, no need to track snow in to the bros' house. When Tiny had entered the living room, she was immediately tackled by a blue blur.

 

"NNNNNGAAAHHHHHH!!!!! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN, STARBOMBER!!!!!"

 

"SWEAR JAR!!!"

 

Papyrus was pointing at Undyne with a stern look on his face. Undyne's fierce look of annoyance with a hint of concern turned sheepish.

 

"Ehehehe... Whoops."

 

Undyne got up off of Tiny, who was face first into the carpet, and headed into the kitchen where you assumed the swear jar was.

 

Papyrus kneeled down next to Tiny.

 

"I DO APOLOGIZE FOR UNDYNE'S ACTIONS. SHE'S ALWAYS SO ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT EVERYTHING, AS I'M SURE YOU'RE WELL AWARE OF. SHE PROBABLY GOT SO EXCITED AFTER SEEING YOU FOR SO LONG THAT SHE JUST COULDN'T CONTAIN HERSELF! COME NOW, UP YOU GO!"

 

Papyrus had wrapped an arm around Tiny's waist and put one under her arm and lifted her up to her feet.

 

"THERE WE ARE!"

 

The previously planking woman moved the hair that had gotten in her eyes out of the way and looked Papyrus straight in the eyesockets. Her pupils were big, like when she first laid eyes on you, but without the anime sparkles.

 

"Thank you."

 

Papyrus wasn't sure why, but it felt like he'd been zapped by the invisible electricity maze all over again for a brief moment when Tinnirius looked at him like that.

 

"Y-YOU'RE WELCOME!!! THE GREAT PAPYRUS STRIVES TO BE HELPFUL IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE!!!" Papyrus seemed to realize something before he began speaking again. "SANS!!! GET UP YOU LAZYBONES!!! EMILY, FRISK, AND CHARLOTTE HAVE ARRIVED! AS WELL AS MISS TINNIRIUS!!!"

 

Frisk wanted to make spaghetti with Papyrus, to which he happily obliged. Charlotte went in after them in the hopes to keep the dish edible. Tiny wandered in after them to watch the potential chaos of it all.

 

You were about to follow suit when you heard the stairs creak behind you. You turned around to see Sans, looking a bit more tired than usual.

 

"Hey Sans! How've you been?"

 

"'ve been okay..."

 

Okay. That's definitely not okay.

 

"You sure? You look tired. Like, more than usual."

 

Truth be told, Sans was _not_ okay. Sure, you had no idea what you were to him, you were free to- God he hated to say this- _smooch_ whoever you wanted. He wasn't going to be the guy that got all jealous when you so much as even _talked_ to another guy. That just wasn't his style. Still.

 

It burned him up inside thinking about your lips touching someone else's.

 

Sans was done pussy-footing around this.

 

"Actually... I wanted to ask you something."

 

"Yes?"

 

Oh God he couldn't do this. Nope. Uh uh. No way. Abort mission.

 

You tilted your head to the side a bit.

 

"Is something wrong?"

 

Shit.

 

"No! Nothing's _wrong_ per say. I was just wondering..."

 

Shit.

 

"Yes?"

 

Fucking shit he was seriously about to do this.

 

"I was wondering if you... Uh..."

 

"If I what?"

 

What was Sans trying to get at? He was acting strange, even for him. Actually, he was acting like that guy you never even knew you went to school with- who didn't mind the way you looked- when he tried asking you out.

 

Wait.

 

"If you're not busy, I was thinking maybe that we could go to Grillby's. You know. Just-" Sans cleared his non-existent throat. "J-just the two of us? L-like a... Date?"

 

What.

 

What?

 

WHAT?!?! 

 

Tiny, meanwhile, was watching with her head peeked out behind the doorframe.

 

Oh, this would be interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still not going to move the romance at a Disney pace. But I figured it was high time at least /something/ happened.
> 
> A good few of you guessed who Tiny's mom was correctly! Congrats! But seeing as how I wasn't holding an actual contest or anything like that, you do not get a prize, unfortunately.
> 
> Maybe I should do something like that in the future? Hold a question poll or something? Maybe ask a question and the first person to get it correct could, I don't know, request a oneshot from me.
> 
> What do you guys think, does that sound interesting? I mean, ultimately it's my decision, but if enough of you want that it may become a thing I do occasionally.


	16. Let's Dating Start! ... ... ... Maybe???

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Sans go on that 'date.'
> 
> Things get pretty tense between Tiny and Papyrus. And not in the good way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess you guys aren't' interested in the poll idea I had? Or maybe you didn't see it, it at the bottom of the last chapter notes.
> 
> I'll restate what I'm talking about if that's the case and lengthen the time for me to collect the votes.
> 
> I was thinking about occasionally putting some sort of riddle or brain teaser at the end of a chapter and letting you all guess the answer. Whoever guesses correctly first, wins a prize. The prize being a one-shot written by me. Now, there are some things that simply will not write about. Should a winner request something that I won't write, they will not lose their prize. Rather, they will just have to request something else.*
> 
> *Should a winner repeatedly ask for a one-shot containing material I am not comfortable writing, they lose their prize.

Your mind was completely blank right now. And how could it be anything but?

 

Sans, one of your best and closest friends, had just asked you out.

 

On a _date._

 

The question here was why?

 

You weren't anything special. Your looks were plain, you could stand to lose a bit of weight- seriously, your muffin top had to go, ew- all in all, you weren't very attractive when compared to literally anyone else.

 

Of course, this is just how you view yourself.

 

But really, self-critique aside, you didn't have anything going for you.

 

In fact, you'd only been asked out once by a guy that you didn't even know! Sure he'd asked politely if you wanted to go out to see a movie with him, but at the time you were crushing hard on one of your guy friends and turned the boy down gently. The guy friend in question turned out to be a racist and sexist pig, so you're really glad that you never said anything to him about your crush on him.

 

After that, guys in general just lost their appeal to you romance-wise. That's not to say you became a lesbian, because you didn't. But a lot of the few friends you had through high school were convinced you were one. Not that you had anything against homosexuals, you just weren't one.

 

You're getting off topic.

 

Back to the matter at hand. Why would Sans want to go on a date with you? You'd told him about your limited romantic skills- if they could even be called that- and your lack of dating experience so why-

 

Wait.

 

Now you get it.

 

"Are you asking me out so that I can get a feel for what dating is like? Because you know I've never been on one."

 

Sans stared at you with a strange look on his face, like he had to go to the bathroom or something.

 

Was that even a thing he could do? Wait why were you thinking about that that's gross.

 

"Uh... W-Well-"

 

You wrapped your arms around Sans' shoulders.

 

"That's so nice of you!" You pulled away to look Sans in the eyes. "You know I have zero dating experience ad you wanted me to know what going on one is like! You're such a good friend!"

 

Sans could feel his metaphorical bubble pop.

 

"Heh... Yeah... Friend... That's what I am..."

 

If Sans turned to dust right then and there, he would consider it merciful compared to the emotional torment that you were unknowingly putting him through.

 

Tiny, meanwhile, was doing her best to not laugh at Sans' horrible attempt to ask you out. Undyne, who had been keeping an eye on her SIC lest Tiny decide to disappear again, was wondering what all the fuss was about.

 

"What's with the face, Tiny?"

 

Tiny looked over to Undyne, whose face had streaks of tomato sauce on it.

 

"Okay. So I was just eavesdropping, like a creep, and overheard some hilarious lines of dialogue."

 

Frisk's attention was solely on Tiny now. They wanted to know what she'd heard from their big sister's conversation with Sans.

 

Papyrus' attention had already been on Tinnirius throughout the whole spaghetti making process, which was probably why the dish didn't look as... Interesting as it usually did. For some reason, the skeleton simply couldn't concentrate on anything except for the odd woman that Undyne had insisted he invite over. No. 'Odd' was not the correct word to describe her. Enigmatic sounded better. It made her sound like a puzzle that was just waiting to be solved. And everyone knew how much Papyrus loved solving puzzles.

 

Charlotte was busy ensuring that no... _Oddities_ were added to the pasta, but was nonetheless paying attention to what Tinnirius was saying.

 

Tiny was about to burst from ill-contained amusement.

 

"Alright, alright, alright! So Sans just asked Emily on a date-"

 

Tiny slapped a hand over Undyne's mouth which had begun to open in preparation for a resounding 'HELL YEAH!!!!!' Charlotte and Frisk had done the same with Papyrus who was about to loudly exclaim his surprised confusion.

 

"We don't want to let them know that we know. Plus, Emily thinks that Sans only asked her out to let her experience what it's like since she, apparently, had never been on one. And it's friggin' funny to her unintentionally dash his hopes at scoring a real date. Well, it is to me. Anyways! I had an idea."

 

"Is it idiotic and a complete waste of time?"

 

Tiny turned her attention to Charlotte.

 

"Yes."

 

"Are we going to be disappointed with the results?"

 

"Only if we get caught."

 

"Are we likely to get caught?"

 

"If we're not careful, yeah."

 

"In the amount of time it has taken me to ask you these questions, could you have just told us what your plan was?"

 

"Heh, yeah."

 

"Well then we'd best get on with it then, hadn't we?"

 

"Yeah we probably should."

 

It seemed to Tiny that her friendship with Charlotte would begin just as it had previously: By performing an act of sheer stupidity that had a minor chance of paying off. But that was neither here nor there.

 

"Alright, so here's my idea. We follow them to Grillby's- that's where they're going for their date by the by- sit a little ways away from them, and watch how the date goes. Maybe follow them around if they don't decide to come back here immediately after they're done."

 

Undyne was, of course, one hundred percent onboard with this plan. A chance to get her new OTP to become canon?!?! And also a way to make up almost killing you to you, her future bestie?!?! Sign her the _Hell_ up!!!!!

 

"I'm sold! Well, what's up with the rest of you?!"

 

Frisk clapped their hands in glee.

 

"Yes, yes, yes! I wanna help get big sister and Sans together!"

 

Charlotte sighed through where her nose would be if she had one. One could actually see small wafts of steam come from that area.

 

"Very well. I, too, am going to participate in this hopeless endeavor."

 

The three women and single child turned their attention to Papyrus.

 

"Well," Tinnirius demanded, impatiently tapping her foot. "Are you in or are you out?"

 

Papyrus looked torn.

 

"UH... WELL... IT'S NOT THAT I DON'T WANT TO SEE MY BROTHER HAVE A SUCCESSFUL DATE!!! I JUST- AM NOT COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE WITH SPYING ON THEM? I MEAN I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO KNOW WHAT GOES ON!!!! BUT-!"

 

Tiny made a 'pssshhhh' noise and waved her hand dismissively.

 

"If you don't wanna do it, you ain't gotta. But it is a shame."

 

"HUH?"

 

"I'm just saying that for someone who wants to be a part of the Royal Guard so badly you certainly don't want to commit when it counts."

 

Papyrus felt a flash of irritation and... _Something_ else at Tinnirius' words.

 

"WHY I NEVER! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I DO INDEED COMMIT TO MY EFFORTS TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD! EVERY MORNING I MAKE CERTAIN TO WAKE UP BRIGHT AND EARLY AND GET READY FOR MY DAILY ROUTINE! I LEAVE THE HOUSE AND BEGIN MY ONE HUNDRED LAP JOG AROUND SNOWDIN BEFORE I RETURN HOME AND PROCEED TO DO TWO HUNDRED PUSH UPS WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY DOING A CONTINUOUS HAND STAND! THEN, I WAKE UP MY LAZYBONES OF A BROTHER AND PROCEED TO COOK US BREAKFAST SPAGHETTI! AFTER WHICH I MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE BOTH BATHE AND BRUSH OUR TEETH EXTRA WELL! AFTER THAT I SEE SANS OFF TO HIS POST AND RUSH OFF TO MY PATROL WHICH CONSISTS OF CHECKING ALL OF MY HUMAN TRAPS AND PUZZLES AND THINKING UP NEW ONES!"

 

"Guys," Undyne tried to interject.

 

"JUST A MOMENT UNDYNE, I NEED TO MAKE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR TO MISS TINNIRIUS THAT I AM INDEED DOING MY HARDEST TO GET INTO THE ROYAL GUARD."

 

Tiny yawned, not bothering to cover her mouth.

 

 _'HOW CRUDE!!!'_ Papyrus thought to himself. _'A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD SHOULD ALWAYS HOLD THEMSELF IN HIGH ESTEEM AND HAVE PROPER MANNERS! ESPECIALLY THE COMMANDER!!!'_

 

"Sounds to me like you're slacking."

 

"S-SLACKING!!!"

 

"Yeah. Let me tell you about _my_ daily routine that- even in my absence due to unforeseen circumstances- I manage to do without _fail_ each and every day. When I wake up, I bathe, eat the breakfast that my Papa has toiled over for several _hours_ making for me, brush my teeth at his insistence, and get ready to do my daily exercises. I run a _three hundred lap_ jog that I can assure you is a lot longer distance and time-wise than yours is. Next, I do _six hundred_ push ups, also while simultaneously doing a hand stand, but I do it _one hand at a time._ And I do six hundred push ups for _each arm._ After that, I proceed to bench press approximately _twenty-four thousand and five hundred pounds_ of weights for two hours _straight._ Then when that's done, I ask around to see if anyone needs help with anything. Whether it's repairing any damage to their homes or just helping them carry something. And finally, I go on my patrol of New Home. Which, if you didn't know, is at _least_ five times the size of Snowdin, and yes I'm including the forest. So, yeah. It sounds like you don't care all that much about being in the Royal Guard as you so claim you do. I mean, here you are just flat out turning down a chance to improve your stealth skills by following your brother on his date. Look, I get it. Being in the Guard's not for everyone. I'm sure you can just find something else to do. C'mon ladies... And Frisk. We've got a date to spy on. Undyne what were you trying to say earlier?"

 

"They left while you two were arguing," Undyne stated blandly, jerking a thumb towards the door.

 

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

 

Frisk went and traded their shorts for pants and found that their big sister had done the same. They gathered their winter clothes and changed in the bathroom.

"Okay! Munchkin's all bundled up, I don't feel the cold, Charlotte is a fire monster, and Undyne doesn't care! Let's g-"

 

"WAIT!"

 

Tiny could feel her irritation begin to grow. Soulmate or not, Papyrus and his naivety were really starting to grate on her nerves.

 

"What do you want now, slacker?"

 

Papyrus huffed indignantly at the insult. Yes, despite his cheery demeanor, the normally jovial skeleton man could tell when he was being insulted. It helped that Tinnirius wasn't trying to hide her insult as a backhanded compliment like a good handful of Snowdin's residents often did. He attempted to glare a bit while looking Tiny in the eye...s. But... He found himself unable to gaze back into those expressive, black orbs for very long.

 

Staring into Tinnirius' eyes made him feel all... Weird inside his chest and he couldn't for the life of him understand why the slightly contemptuous woman would have such an affect on him.

 

"I, THE GREAT _PAPYRUS,_ HAVE DECIDED THAT I SHALL INDEED ACCOMPANY YOU ON THIS EXCURSION TO SPY UPON MY BROTHER AND EMILY WHILE THEY ARE ON THIS DATE!"

 

"Oh well whoopdy-doo for you."

 

Papyrus felt himself flush a bit at the unimpressed response he received. He opened his mouth to retort, but Tinnirius was already out the door.

 

Getting into Grillby's without Sans or Emily seeing them was the easy part. It would be _staying_ unseen that would pose a challenge.

 

The group of stalk- _concerned friends_ sat down at a booth that was a good distance away from the one you and Sans were seated at, but not so far that they couldn't see what was going on.

 

"Okay," Tiny lowered her voice. "So we're going to sit here and watch how their date goes and follow them if they decide to go anywhere else. Everyone understand?"

 

The mostly monochrome woman got head shakes in the affirmative and gave an appreciative nod.

 

"Good."

 

"Beg pardon," Charlotte interjected. "But pray tell as to why you care so much about a date that one person you just met and one you haven't introduced yourself to are on?"

 

Eyes shifted to the Commander.

 

Tiny sighed. Of course Charlotte would ask something like that when they were in the middle of the operation and not before!

 

"Look. I'm not going to weave some big, fancy tale about how I think it'll improve friendships or whatever if this works. I have- _Had._ I _had_ a very close friend who was completely oblivious to the feelings that someone had for them. When they finally did realize them, they returned them happily. And life was good. For a little bit. And then my friend died. The end. I want these two to give this a shot. If it don't work out, it don't work out. But I want them to have the _chance_ to make it work. That's why I care so much."

 

The mood at the table went solemn. Charlotte cleared her throat and said a quiet 'My condolences' and Undyne patted Tiny on the shoulder tenderly. Well. As tenderly as she could manage. Papyrus stopped obsessively thinking about ways he could impress the Commander to show her that he was Royal Guard material, for a moment. And Frisk...

 

Frisk's face had a look on it that screamed 'Oh my God.'

 

_Th-there's no way... There's no possible way that she could remember! No one else has **ever** remembered! But what if she does? Oh God, what if she does?!_

 

Unbeknownst to the group, a set of eyes were honed in on them like a hawk on a field mouse. Specifically, the eternal flame of beauty whose face held a look of sorrow.

 

Grillby honestly couldn't help himself. Believe him, he tried to tear his eyes away from Charlotte's form the moment she walked in. But it was a fruitless endeavor. He couldn't explain for the life of him why he found himself to be so drawn to her, but he was.

 

Not that his- assumedly- fleeting attraction to her would ever amount to anything. Like so many other monsters, Grillby was an avid watcher of Mettaton's many shows. As such, he had indeed seen the broadcast that had aired only hours previously.

 

There was no doubt in his mind that the Council of Flame had as well.

 

As it stood, the fire monster colony was now fully aware that there was a white fire monster- although mixed- who was unattached and no potential mate in sight.

 

They would undoubtedly have agents laying in wait to whisk the lovely Charlotte off to be wed.

 

Grillby gripped the glass he was cleaning a bit tighter, the thought of some young punk having their way with Charlotte angering him for some reason.

 

* * *

Sans honestly thought that he was dying.

 

And he had died before so believe him when he said he knew how it felt.

 

Honestly, he brought it on himself by not making his intentions clear from the beginning.

 

"So this is kind of what dating's like? Two people go out together and just spend time with each other? Romantically?"

 

Sans swallowed thickly.

 

"U-uh-huh. Y-yep."

 

"Of course, we're just doing this as friends, so it kind of takes away from the experience... But that's fine!"

 

You smiled sweetly at Sans and he wanted to kiss that cute look right off your oblivious little face.

 

"Heheheheheheh..." God that sounded so forced. "Wh-what can I say? Always happy to help out a friend..."

 

He must sound so desperate.

 

You were confused.

 

Sans looked... Uncomfortable.

 

Maybe he was starting to regret asking you on this trial date? That sort of made sense. Sans said that he had never been on an actual date with anyone either.

 

You guessed he was just nervous.

 

But about what?

 

"I think I'll get fries, what about you?"

 

"S-same. But with extra ketchup of course."

 

Sans gave you a slow wink, but that just made him look more uncomfortable.

 

Grillby came over and took your orders, looking unusually stiff for some reason. Geez, was everybody doing something uncomfortable tonight?

 

"H-hey..." You looked up at Sans. "Have you ever heard of a talking flower?"

 

"I've never heard of one, but I've seen several blue ones."

 

 _And a cute-in-a-creepy-kind-of-way yellow one that tried to murder me and my adopted sibling._ But you kept that thought to yourself.

 

"Heh. I figured that ya may have come across some. Those are called 'Echo Flowers' and they only grow in Waterfall. As I'm sure you've gathered, they repeat the last thing that was spoken near them forever until someone says something new near them."

 

"Wow... 'Echo Flower,' huh? That's a pretty name..."

 

Sans kind of got lost in your eyes for a moment before Grillby setting his food down snapped him out of it.

 

"Thanks, Grillby."

 

".............I hope you enjoy your meal.................And have a pleasant rest of the evening together.............."

 

Grillby walked back behind the bar to resume his aggressive glass cleaning.

 

"His voice sounds so..."

 

"So much like a campfire? Yeah. The original language of the fire monsters consisted of only crackles and pops like the kind you'd hear a non-sentient fire make. Hardly anyone could understand them back when monsters were still on the-"

 

Sans stopped talking abruptly. One of his hands was slowly balling into a fist. He was shaking a little.

 

You placed your hand on his.

 

"It's okay. You don't have to talk about it."

 

Sans let out a shuddering breath.

 

"No. No. I'm fine. Hell, I wasn't even around back then, but talking about it gets me worked up like this for some reason."

 

Sans took a few deep breaths.

 

"Back when monsters were still on the surface. Eventually, the fire monsters started to try and learn the languages that were spoken around them. They could understand them just fine, it was speaking, reading, and writing in them that was the hard part. Eventually, one fire monster mastered a language and translated for their people. Slowly, the rest of the fire monsters began to learn, though there were a few who didn't pick up on it as fast as others did. Grillby was one of them. And he never really got to learn how to enunciate without crackling."

 

"Why?"

 

Sans was gripping your hand now.

 

"The war. Grillby was called to arms. Because he was so low in the fire monster hierarchy, he had no say. Wait, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about."

 

"Charlotte explained it to me a while ago. Please, continue."

 

"That simplifies things. So, Grillby was called to arms. He served King Asgore- who back then was still a prince- dutifully and rose through the ranks quickly. He was the first Captain of the Royal Guard."

 

"Really?! I would've thought that Gerson..."

 

"Oh, you've met Gerson? And nah. Gerson was never about titles or ranks. He fought because he wanted to keep monsterkind safe. He was known as the Hammer of Justice back in the day. Anyways. Monsters obviously lost and were banished down here. Grillby stayed with the guard for a long time after, but eventually retired and opened up his bar. His heart just wasn't in it anymore. I get that."

 

Sans looked wistfully at the blazing ex-warrior.

 

"Grillby was just tired of fighting. Of preparing to fight. He's thousands of years old. I guess jadedness also comes with age and not just wisdom."

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Heh. Grillby's tired. He's been tired for a long time. But lately, he seems to have gotten a bit of his old _spark_ back."

 

"What do- Was that a pun?"

 

"I always look for _surefire_ ways to make people laugh."

 

You were snickering.

 

"You can't just drop that during a serious talk dude!"

 

"You love it."

 

"I do and I don't care who knows."

 

Sans' cheeks tinged blue.

 

"A-anyways, like I was saying. I think the reason Grillby's been so upbeat as of late is because of your _hot_ friend, Charlotte."

 

"Pffft. Wait, what makes you say that?"

 

Sans shifted his eyes lazily over to the other side of the bar. Yours followed.

 

Frisk waved at you and gave you a thumbs up. Undyne was too, but somehow it looked way more aggressive. Charlotte was watching as Tiny... Attempted to cram bread down Papyrus' non-existent throat.

 

"Heh. Did they really think they wouldn't get noticed?" Sans felt a twinge of urgency at the sight of Tiny trying to choke his baby bro with bread, but ultimately decided to not intervene.

 

Having someone who didn't try to spare your feelings by giving you a sugarcoated version of their opinion would do Papyrus some good. Besides.

 

He knew Tiny would treat his bro right if and when the time came.

 

"Hahahahahaha!" Sans looked at your hunched over form. "Our friends are so weird!"

 

Sans laughed along with you.

 

Your fingers were interlocked with his.

 

And neither of you noticed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you wondering about the way Tiny is acting towards Papyrus:
> 
> Tiny never asked to be able to remember the Resets. That being said, her soul is constantly that she go and spend time with Papyrus so that they can be together.
> 
> Tiny is scared and upset and is sort of taking it out on Papyrus because She doesn't hate Papyrus. She's just frustrated and is blaming him just a little bit.
> 
> Also, yay! Some form of romance is occurring!
> 
> I keep wanting to bring Charlotte to the front in some chapters, but that never ends up happening. I think I need to focus more on her speaking parts in the upcoming chapters rather than the others. They've all talked plenty, Charlotte needs to shine, too.


	17. Here's the Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans for the future are made.
> 
> Kind of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is sort of another filler chapter. I kind of wanted an excuse to start making the future couples spend time together.
> 
> Also, I've decided that I'm going through with the brain teaser/question at the end of a chapter idea. It won't be for every chapter, so I will tell you wen there is one at the end.
> 
> There's a brain teaser/question at the end of this chapter.

Somehow, you and Sans managed to sneak past your band of followers.

 

Sans gripped your hand firmly in his.

 

He appeared calm and collected on the outside, but he felt all warm and gooey on the inside.

 

This was a big step in the plan to get you back.

 

* * *

"Well, that didn't work out the way I was hoping it would," Tiny sighed, sliding down into her seat.

 

Papyrus had managed to remove the burger bun she had crammed into his mouth.

 

"HONESTLY! WHY IN THE NAME OF ASGORE WOULD YOU DO SUCH A THING AS TO SHOVE THIS GREASE RIDDLED EXCUSE FOR FOOD INTO MY MOUTH?!"

 

Tiny made a point to quite obviously roll her eyes in annoyance.

 

Secretly, she was glad that Papyrus hadn't _actually_ choked.

 

It'd be kind of a bummer if she were to accidentally dust her soulmate. Also, she wasn't looking to gain LOVE.

 

"I wouldn't have had to cram the bun into your trap if you would have just _shut up_. You were being _way_ too loud and you still are! How do you think that the Royal Guard gathers intel in secret? By being as loud as possible? No. We do it _quietly_. Yet another reason you should just give up already. You'll never get in the way you are now."

 

Undyne had headed back to the bros' house with Frisk and Charlotte was sitting at the bar, alcoholic drink sitting in front of her, Grillby subtly gazing at her.

 

 _You go Grillby. You go after your lady. I know you'll treat her right, just like last time,_ Tiny thought to herself.

 

Papyrus had opened his mouth to retort but Tiny had had enough. He was just so frustrating to deal with right now! Especially since he _didn't know_ that she was his _soulmate!!!_ And he never would if she didn't spend time with him. But it was difficult for Tiny to accept situations that she couldn't control.

 

The frustrated Commander exited the booth and headed out the door, Papyrus following after her a few moments later after the shock of Tinnirius just getting up and leaving had worn off.

 

"MISS TINNIRIUS! MISS TINNIRIUS!! _MISS TINNIIR-_ "

 

" _TINY,"_ she all but hissed. "I prefer people to call me _Tiny!_ Get that through your thick skull _now_ or I will kick your ass so hard your bones will be bruised for _months._ "

 

With a huff, Tiny flipped her hair with a sharp jolt of her head, spun back around and proceeded to march off once more.

 

"MISS TINY!!!" Oh for the love of God. "WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP FOR ONE MOMENT?!?"

 

Tiny had stormed off towards the forest, she and Papyrus were standing in the middle of a clearing.

 

"What. Now. _Slacker._ "

 

Tiny didn't mean to be nasty right now. But she was honestly almost out of patience to deal with, well, anything right now.

 

" _PAPYRUS,_ IF YOU WOULD BE SO KIND AS TO REFER TO ME BY MY NAME THAT WOULD BE MOST APPRECIATED."

 

"Fine. What do you want now, _Papyrus?_ "

 

Papyrus swallowed thickly. This woman was fierce looking when she was angry.

 

"I BELIEVE I HAVE THOUGHT OF A SOLUTION TO PROVE TO YOU THAT I _AM_ ROYAL GUARD MATERIAL!"

 

Tiny forced a laugh back. This guy just would not give up.

 

"Oh _do_ tell."

 

Papyrus gave a little indignant huff.

 

"WELL. I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU AND I WERE TO TRAIN TOGETHER, YOU WOULD SEE THAT UNDYNE HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF PREPARING ME FOR THE GUARD!"

 

"And _why_ would I want to do that?"

 

Papyrus stopped himself from furiously digging at his skull. This woman was _infuriating!_

 

"IF YOU WERE TO SEE ME IN ACTION, YOU'D COME TO REALIZE THAT I AM INDEED DOING EVERYTHING WITHIN MY POWER TO BECOME WORTH OF BEING A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD. IF YOU'RE STILL NOT CONVINCED, I'LL DROP THE MATTER ENTIRELY WITH YOU."

 

"Just like that?"

 

"JUST LIKE THAT."

 

"Fine."

 

Papyrus wanted to _scream._

 

"OH COME ON!!! IF YOU WOULD JUST GIVE ME THIS ONE CHANCE TO PROVE MYSELF YOU'D SEE WHAT A GOOD CANDIDATE I AM FOR THE-!!! WAIT. DID YOU JUST SAY IT WAS ALRIGHT?"

 

"Yeah," Tiny was inspecting the tips of her fingers, not a care in the world it seemed.

 

She suddenly found herself gripped in a tight embrace and spun around.

 

"OH THANK YOU, THANK YOU, _THANK YOU!!!!!_ YOU WILL NOT REGRET THIS MISS TINY, I PROMISE YOU THAT!!!!"

 

Tiny was trying to get her soul to stop trying to leap out of her body from how badly it was pounding.

 

"Sure. No problem. You can let go of me now."

 

And so it began.

 

Regularly spending time with Papyrus.

 

God damn it this was going to be hard.

 

* * *

As the events previously stated were taking place, Charlotte was winding down at the bar.

 

She sat there looking so refined, not slouching even a bit.

 

Charlotte sipped delicately from her glass of wine.

 

"Mmmmm~"

 

Grillby's breath hitched just a smidge.

 

Charlotte placed the glass down after a few sips. No need to down the whole thing at once. It was best to savor the beverage, lest she get more than a bit tipsy and do something moronically mortifying like, oh... Give the rather attractive bartender a peck on the cheek for example.

 

Ruby orbs locked with pure white ones.

 

"This is simply divine. You truly have a talent for this, Grillby."

 

"...........................Thank you............................"

 

Grillby's cheeks tinged a deep blue. Sure. His drinks got compliments all the time, but they were always from regulars who had known him and come here for years. This woman, however, was someone entirely new. Someone that he didn't know and was giving him the sincerest of compliments.

 

Oh but Grillby did indeed want to get to know her.

 

"Oh! Your voice... It still has remnants of the old tongue."

 

".............................Yes.......................I have never quite been able to get rid of it......................I apologize if it makes you uncomfortable................"

 

"Oh no, no, no! I had trouble getting my voice to sound normal to others for quite some time! It doesn't bother me one bit! I'm... Going to take a wild guess and say that you were recruited for the war before you had a chance to perfect your speech."

 

"......................Yes.....................I was born shortly before the war began........................I barely had anytime to learn our own language...................Let alone an entirely different one...................."

 

Charlotte smiled shyly.

 

"The same goes for me. My mother attempted to teach me every moment she had. I believe my father may be the reason I picked up on learning the more common language."

 

Grillby looked at her, intrigued.

 

"......................Oh?........................"

 

"Yes. My mother was a blue fire monster. Her name was Azura Adar. She was the most wonderful woman a child could ask for to be their mother. My father was Ichtys Matiasma. He was a fish monster. He was always so strong, so sure of himself."

 

Charlotte's eyes held the look of sorrow.

 

"They both died during the war. I was only twenty-one when it happened. I remember healing a wounded witch when I received the news."

 

Grillby placed a hand on Charlotte's.

 

"...........................I'm sorry........................"

 

Charlotte flushed green.

 

"D-don't be! It... It _was_ thousands of years ago... There was so much my mother wanted to teach me. She even said that she had something important to tell me about my coloration the day that she died. Though what it was, I suppose I'll never know. It couldn't have been about my high immunity to water, I already knew that. Do you know what could possibly be so important about my coloration?"

 

Grillby was, in short, frozen in place.

 

She had no idea...

 

That there'd be an attempt to marry her off to produce more resilient fire monsters?

 

Grillby gripped the glass harder.

 

This woman- No. This _lady_ who, from what he had seen, was a kind and gentle creature. And he would not allow her to go off into the depths of Hotland without the knowledge of what their people would attempt to do.

 

So Grillby told her.

 

To say Charlotte was upset would be an understatement.

 

She was _appalled._

 

"Well. That certainly won't be happening. I will not just stand by and let someone else decide my future for me. Thank you for telling me, Grillby."

 

"...............It was no trouble..................."

 

Grillby thought that Charlotte would leave to tell her human friends the news she just heard. But she surprised him with what she said next.

 

"I need to repay you for giving me this vital piece of information. But whatever can I do to show you my gratitude? Ah! I know." Charlotte grasped both of Grillby's hands, and thankfully he had already put the glass down. "I'll help you perfect your speech! I know that it's no where near as helpful as your information was, but it's a start! That is... If you'd like me to."

 

Grillby stared at her for a moment. A jagged horizontal line of bright yellow split his face before it opened, revealing what looked to be the fire monster equivalent of teeth, only instead of inside, the 'teeth' were apart of Grillby's normally hidden in plain sight mouth.

 

".....................I'd like that......................"

 

Charlotte was absolutely mesmerized by the way Grillby's mouth moved.

 

"Wonderful."

 

And so it began.

 

Charlotte and Grillby regularly spending time with one another.

 

God damn it this was going to be cute.

 

* * *

"You wanna what?" You asked.

 

"Well," Charlotte began, "I wanted to repay Grillby for his generosity of providing me with the information of what the fire monsters in Hotland will attempt to do. So I offered to teach him how to perfect his speech."

 

"And Slacker here- Excuse me. _Papyrus._ " The skeleton in question narrowed his eyes a bit. "Wants to train with me to show me that he's 'Royal Guard material.' So I agreed, if only to get him to shut up."

 

You were all back in Sans and Papyrus' house and were discussing your next course of action.

 

"I know that this will set us getting to the king back by a bit, Dearest, but I..."

 

You smiled at Charlotte.

 

"Hey, I don't mind. You're the kindest person I've ever met, so of course you'd want to repay someone who helped you out. Plus, this is an excuse to spend some more time with all of our friends here in Snowdin! But... Tiny what about Alphys? You two seemed to be in the middle of something important when we dropped in."

 

Tiny smiled genuinely at you and Papyrus felt his soul seize up and skip several beats. Why? He didn't have the faintest idea. Maybe he subconsciously thought that someone who had been nothing but sour-faced this whole time suddenly smiling like that meant that something bad would happen soon.

 

"Don't worry about her! As part of Papyrus' temporary training with me, we'll be stopping by the lab everyday to visit her! I'll even bring her over here so that she gets used to talking to all of you! Though, she may not want to come if I mention that you'll be here, Undyne."

 

"WHAT?!?!?!?! WHY THE HE- HECK NOT?!?!?!"

 

"Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell... She doesn't have that great of an opinion of herself- don't ask me why I have no clue- and is convinced that you think she is the grossest piece of garbage to ever exist on the face of the Earth."

 

"Why would she think that!?!?! I don't think that!!!! I lo- like her!!! I don't think she's gross!!!!!"

 

"Yeah well, she's got low self-esteem, so... If I do bring her over, you either gotta get out or we can stage it to seem like you were out when I said that I was gonna go get her and convince her to stick around and talk with everyone."

 

Sans, who was sitting next to you on the couch, and rather close at that, 'hmmm'ed in thought.

 

"Something on your mind, Sans?" You asked.

 

"Maybe... Has Alphys seen your phone?"

 

"When Papyrus called, I pulled it out so I guess?"

 

"Maybe offer to let her mess around with it if we go through with the 'convince her to stay' plan. She's always been into technology for as long as I've known her-"

 

"Since when were you two all buddy buddy?!?!" Undyne interjected.

 

"-so letting her see your phone might just make her stay."

 

"I'm talking to you, bonehead!!!!"

 

Tiny covered Undyne's mouth with her hand.

 

"That's a great idea! And it'll probably totally work!"

 

It was settled. Once again, you would be spending an undetermined amount of time in Snowdin.

 

Not that you minded.

 

Outside...

 

There was a shivering flower who was keeping true to his promise.

 

He was keeping his eyes on you.

 

He had to.

 

He had to because you looked so much like his best friend whom he'd lost so many years ago.

 

He knew you weren't Chara.

 

Chara's been gone for a long time.

 

And there was no bringing her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A man is pushing his car along the road when he comes to a hotel. He shouts, "I'm bankrupt!" Why? 
> 
> I'll tell you the answer next chapter. First one to get it gets to request a one-shot from me!


	18. The Commander and the Rookie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So begins the short arc of watching the pairs of (hopefully) future lovers spend and unspecified amount of time with one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. It's been a while. Almost two months.
> 
> I want to apologize for being away for so long- I feel like I've said this way too many times- but some things came up.
> 
> My mom had to have surgery not too long ago. I won't go into details, but the healing process is going to be a long and tedious one. Also, I just needed to take a break and think about how I wanted this chapter to go.
> 
> So with that comes me doing this:
> 
> CONGRATULATIONS 9DIFFERENTTYPESOFCRAZY!!!! They were the first to guess the brain teaser correctly. For those of you that don't already know, the answer was 'monopoly.'
> 
> The one-shot has already been made so go check it out if you haven't already!
> 
> There will be a brain teaser at the end of this chapter, too.

_**Day One** _

 

A small part of the forest was on fire and for once it wasn't Tiny's fault.

 

Not that she'd ever accidentally (read: purposefully) set Snowdin Forest ablaze.

 

Nope. Not her. She'd never do something so dangerous and juvenile.

 

Ahem.

 

Fortunately, all that had caught on fire were a few saplings that hadn't grown to be very tall.

 

Tiny blew a strand of hair out of her eyes in an annoyed huff. She gazed tiredly at the complete and utter moron who had started the small forest fire by accident.

 

Papyrus was trying his best to put out the embers, choking the slowly rising flames with snow.

 

"OH NO YOU DON'T!!! STAY _PUT OUT_ YOU-!" Papyrus stamped his foot one last time. "THERE. IT'S OUT. _FINALLY._ "

 

The now relieved skeletal man turned to face the woman who had agreed to accompany him for an unspecified amount of time. Papyrus' hope was that if Tinni- Excuse him. If _Tiny_ saw just how much effort he put into every aspect of his life, no matter how small or mundane the task he performed might have been, she'd come to agree that he was most definitely Royal Guard material.

 

Unfortunately for the ever hopeful man, he had no idea just how _uninterested_ Tiny would be when it came to training and evaluating him.

 

The normally cheerful smile that called Papyrus' face home fell into an irritated grimace.

 

Tiny was picking at her fingers, not paying attention to a thing he was doing.

 

"YOU KNOW. WHEN SOMEONE SAYS THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE EVALUATING SOMEONE ELSE, ONE WOULD THINK THAT THEY WOULD _PAY ATTENTION_ TO THE ONE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE EVALUATING."

 

Tiny glanced up and met his eyes briefly before flitting back down to her hands.

 

"Yeah. But I really don't care about watching some idiot try to put out a forest fire that he started."

 

Her tone was dull, uninterested.

 

Papyrus felt his normally level temperament flare quickly before he squashed down the negative emotion.

 

"THE FIRE COULD HAVE BEEN EASILY PREVENTABLE HAD YOU TOLD ME IF I HAD ADDED TO MUCH FUEL TO THE FIRE PIT BEFORE I LIT IT!!!"

 

"And you shouldn't have had to ask if you were really an 'expert' as you so claim to be!" Tiny had dropped her attention from her nails and was now completely focused on Papyrus. Her expression was now one of growing ire. "If you can't light a simple campfire without burning everything around you to the ground, then you are way more of an idiot than I first thought! You think you'll get into the Royal Guard making mistakes like that?! Ha!!! You fucking wish!!!"

 

Great. She was openly mocking him now. And swearing.

 

If there was one thing Papyrus detested more than being insulted, it was swearing.

 

This woman was double-teaming him with both of his more prominent pet peeves.

 

Papyrus exhaled deeply through his nasal cavity.

 

"I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD REFRAIN FROM USING SUCH VULGAR LANGUAGE. IT IS NOT BEFITTING OF A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD TO USE SUCH PROFANINTY."

 

Tiny turned away from him and scoffed.

 

"Shows how fucking much you know, Slacker. Everyone in the Guard swears like it's nobody's God damn business. Hell, even Undyne swears all the fucking time!"

 

Tiny knew she was being obtuse. She didn't care. If Papyrus was really serious about becoming a member, he'd have to learn that the other members wouldn't cater to his preferences when it came to certain things. Like swearing.

 

The SIC wandered off, silently berating herself for agreeing to train and evaluate Papyrus, who was tailing after her while squawking about God knows what.

 

This was going to be difficult.

 

Very difficult.

 

**_Week Two_ **

 

It had only been two weeks and Tiny's patience was already starting to wear thin.

 

She had done as she promised and made Papyrus run with her to Alphys' lab and back. The scientist in question was currently visiting you at Sans and Papyrus' house after refusing to set one claw outside of her lab for the past two weeks.

 

Tiny wasn't going to lie and say that Papyrus hadn't made any progress because he had.

 

He was just _really_ grating on her nerves.

 

Between his incessant yammering and her soul hammering away in her chest at his very presence, Tiny had had just about enough.

 

So, in the middle of all the heat and another one of his lectures, Tiny punched Papyrus in the face.

 

 _That_ certainly shut him up.

 

"What's the matter, Slacker? Here you are lecturing _me_ about always needing to be on my guard and you go and get yourself sucker punched?" Tiny sucked in some air, making it hiss as she did so. "That makes you look like a real hypocrite, you know."

 

Papyrus could only stare at her dumbfounded from where he had braced himself on his elbows after hitting the ground.

 

His left cheek really hurt.

 

And then he lunged.

 

Blows were exchanged, names were called, Tiny bit him a few more times than what was deemed necessary. Papyrus had enjoyed that last part more than he was willing to admit.

 

In the end, Tiny came out the victor, but not without some scratch marks and bruises.

 

Both contestants were breathing heavy. Tiny was the first to rise to her feet.

 

A hand was held out in front of Papyrus' face. He flinched back a little, expecting another punch.

 

"Ugh. Relax, I'm not going to hit you again. Yet. Get up. We still have to run back to Snowdin, Rookie."

 

Papyrus, unsure if he had heard her correctly, looked up at Tiny startled.

 

"Yeah, yeah. This little tussle helped improve your standing with me. Now, like I said. Get up."

 

Papyrus took Tiny's hand and allowed himself to be hoisted up.

 

"Oh, and by the way. The whole fighting each other thing is going to become a regular occurrence for however long I feel like. We'll do it once a week."

 

 

* * *

_**Month Two, Week One** _

 

Papyrus couldn't tell you when their dynamic began to change.

 

It could have been when he finally got the upper hand against Tiny in one of their matches and pinned her. The look of surprise that overtook the Commander's face... Did something to him that made his chest feel all fluttery. And then she had to go and wrap her legs around his waist and bat her eyes at him almost flirtatiously before she squeezed tightly and flipped their positions.

 

Papyrus took a long, _cold_ shower when he arrived home that day. He felt flustered and entirely too hot for reasons he didn't know or understand.

 

It also could have been when Tiny dropped the nicknames altogether and just simply started calling him 'Papyrus.'

 

Or maybe it was when he caught her sleeping on the old couch in the living room, her face serene and the most relaxed he'd ever seen her. He hadn't the heart to wake her and draped a blanket over her resting form. 

 

He hadn't even stopped to wonder just exactly how she had gotten into the house.

 

Whatever it was that had changed, Papyrus was eternally grateful for it. And looking back, he could sort of see how his comments about how Tiny presented herself could have come off as rude from the woman in question's perspective. He supposed.

 

Currently, he and Tiny were cooking together. She had stated that the way he was preparing his dishes could kill someone. Instead of feeling a flash of anger, something warm flooded Papyrus' chest when Tiny grabbed a spare apron and proceeded to take over the preparation of dinner.

 

Though, he was just the tiniest bit irked when she had tossed his spaghetti into the garbage.

 

"Okay, Papyrus," Tiny stated, handing him a cutting knife. "Chop up this tomato into chunks. And do it _gently._ I know how Undyne taught you to cook, and that is _not_ how you prepare fruits and vegetables."

 

Papyrus took the knife without comment. He knew that Undyne's cooking methods were... Extreme. He wasn't about to argue.

 

Tiny, meanwhile, was pulling out the sheets of noodles that were hidden away behind the copious amounts of spaghetti boxes.

 

"So... Why do you even _have_ this much spaghetti anyways? I heard from Undyne that you don't even eat it when you make it."

 

Papyrus chuckled to himself.

 

"Well," it should be mentioned that he was finally getting his volume under control, though he still had his loud  moments. "I always thought that if you ate what you prepared, you wouldn't want to make it anymore if you didn't like the taste of it. My brother says that my pasta's the best food he's ever had, so I have no doubts that he and everyone else that has tried it enjoys it! But what if I don't? I don't think I could stand to make something that I didn't like! And if I didn't like it and henceforth refused to make it again, I'd be robbing everyone else that enjoys it the chance to eat it again!"

 

Tiny 'hmm'd to herself, thoughtful.

 

"I guess I can see your point. So if you've never eaten spaghetti, what _do_ you eat?"

 

"Oh, I usually just eat my favorite food!"

 

"Which is?"

 

"The oatmeal with the dinosaur eggs!"

 

Tiny turned her gaze back to the still open cabinet. She could see a glimpse of what looked to be a few cereal boxes crammed into the back.

 

"You just eat cereal?"

 

"Yes!"

 

"That is seriously unhealthy. Like, it's cool that you like it and all, but... Well if you eat it for every meal like I'm assuming you do, it's almost as bad as Sans spending his lunch and dinner times at Grillby's."

 

Papyrus actually looked offended at that.

 

"It's nothing like that! It's not grease and fat riddled, it's-!"

 

"Nothing but sugar. Got it. Let it be known that both skeleton brothers have unhealthy eating habits."

 

Papyrus glared, though there was little to no heat in it. Tiny was genuinely teasing him, not being rude. His cheeks tinged orange.

 

"I- I DO NOT!!!"

 

Tiny giggled and set to adding layers to the lasagna she was making, making sure to take the tomato chunks and place them throughout all the layers.

 

When she had finally added the final noodle on top along with the sauce, Tiny kissed her hand and said something in a language Papyrus didn't understand.

 

"Mwah! Perfezione! Questo è plasmare fino a essere una lasagna che guarda bene se posso dirlo io!*"

 

Tiny placed the lasagna into the oven and set the timer before turning around to a confused Papyrus.

 

"What?"

 

"What language was that?"

 

"Huh? Oh, right I forgot. Not everyone has a parent who was from another country before all the monsters were sealed Underground. It's Italian, my dad's fluent in it and doesn't speak a lick of English. He understands it he just can't speak it. Not fluently anyway. But he's been practicing recently."

 

Papyrus swallowed inaudibly. His throat felt incredibly dry and his saliva felt incredibly thick.

 

"Could you... Say something else? Please?"

 

"Well, what do you want me to say?"

 

"Anything."

 

"Hmmmm... Oh! Sei il mio unico e solo amore. Tutti gli altri impallidisce in confronto a te. Mia anima batte più velocemente e più veloce ogni volta che sono vicino a te, mi dice che ho bisogno di essere vicino a te in ogni momento fino a quando non capisci quello che tu sei per me. La mia anima gemella e sono tua. Ti amo così tanto e fa male non per essere in grado di dirvi questo. Beh, dove si può capire almeno. Un giorno che potrai capire. Ti amo, Papiro.**"

 

Papyrus looked at Tiny dazedly.

 

"Wowie... What did you say?"

 

Tiny smirked and fought off her rising blush.

 

"Oh. Nothing you need to worry about."

 

Tiny laughed quietly to herself as Papyrus began complaining about what it was she might have just said.

 

_Maybe one day I'll tell you._

 

_You know. When you decide to stop being a complete **bonehead**. _

 

_Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it seems like filler. It's really not though it's all super plot relevant.
> 
> (Sharkie why are you blatantly lying to the readers don't do that you know that this is self-indulgent trash and that you really just want to see Papyrus knocked down a peg or two before mellowing him out.) I MEAN WHAT IGNORE THAT MYSTERIOUS VOICE.
> 
> What Tiny says: *Perfection! This is shaping up to be a fine looking lasagna if I do say so myself! 
> 
> **You are my one and only love. Everyone else pales in comparison to you. My soul beats faster and faster whenever I'm near you, telling me that I need to be near you at all times until you understand what you are to me. Your my soulmate and I'm yours. I love you so much and it hurts not to be able to tell you this. Well, where you can understand it at least. One day you'll figure it out. I love you, Papyrus.
> 
> Please note that I used Google Translate for this. Also, I may go back and put up translations for what Tiny's dad said a few chapters back. Not sure yet. Depends on how lazy I feel like being.
> 
> Also, I know I said that Tiny's dad was from another country in this chapter. I did that on purpose. She's not going to go around and just tell people that her dad isn't technically a monster. So her cover story is that he was from Italy before he and many others came from overseas to fight in the war.
> 
> HERE'S THE BRAINTEASER:
> 
> He who builds me doesn't want me. He who buys me doesn't use me. He who uses me doesn't know he's got me. What am I?


	19. A Note to My Dear Readers

Hey everyone. It's been a little while.

 

I'll make this quick.

 

I'm going on a planned hiatus for this story. I'm not sure when I'll be back.

 

That doesn't mean I'm giving up on this story, not one bit. I just need a break is all.

 

I fully intend to finish this fic. I may even write a few chapters while I'm gone and do a mass upload. 

 

I will definitely finish the request I recieved from the winner of the last brain teaser, I've just lacked the motivation and inspiration. Had a hard time deciding what to write for them, but I finally settled on an idea.

 

(To those that don't read the comments- and I'm not judging you if you don't- I was given a wide range of where I could go with the request.)

 

So yeah, the request fic is most likely the last bit of writing you'll see from me for a while.

 

I just wanted to let all of you know that I'll be away for a bit. I didn't want to keep you all in suspense, waiting in anticipation for the next chapter to come out.

 

-All my love,

 

Sharkdukes

 

P.S. Not sure if I'll delete this when I come back or not.

 

Written on May 28, 2017.


End file.
